Hands Open
by PanicAtTheDisco12
Summary: Quinn bumps into this disarming brunette at a café, The Coffee Shop, and then again at a rugby tournament in St. Andrews. Little does she know that the girl is a famous celebrity, and vice versa. It's infatuation at first sight and romance ensues, of course.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Quinn Fabray or Rachel Berry, or anything else Glee-related. They all belong to RIB. I've also never been to Scotland so you'll have to excuse any inaccuracies I may have. Oh, and this is my first Faberry fic, so please be gentle.  
**A.N.**: I had originally written this as a Prince William fic (don't make fun of me, I just happen to have had a really huge crush on the guy plus I've always been fascinated with royals and monarchy life in general) and then as a Spashley fic (South of Nowhere verse). I never got to finish it so I decided to throw in a little Faberry into the mix and changed things up after some inspiration struck. Hope you like it!

**Prologue**

Quinn Lucille Fabray heartily soaked in the peace and quiet her favorite corner at the two story coffee shop off of Greyfriars Garden afforded her. Aptly and simply named The Coffee Shop, it was one of her favorite haunts. Steam from a rather large cup of black coffee fogged the window closest to her table, blurring her view of pedestrians below scurrying for cover from the sudden afternoon downpour. She had been here for about fifteen minutes now, but she had spent most of the time staring blankly at the laptop screen and racking her brains for good ideas. After a little while, an idea came to her head and she began working. Occasionally, the blonde-haired young woman would pause in the midst of her typing to take a sip of her still-warm coffee, but mostly, her fingers danced cyclically across the keyboard as letters appeared on the screen one-by-one. Quinn stretched languidly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle a yawn. She groaned contentedly as she heard her back and neck audibly pop as she twisted her upper torso and rolled her neck to work out the kinks that grew there.

Quinn was an art major, normally fascinated with historic homes and museums, but today, she wanted to do nothing but sit and reflect on her chaotic life. Well, hopefully after she got some of her requirements done.

She looked around and frowned. Her number one problem was girls (and maybe a few boys) - there were too many of them. They constantly threw themselves at her feet. And those that she did date only lasted for a couple of months. They would turn ga-ga on her when she brought them home. Some even treated her like a trophy girlfriend; the girls would drag her to public events, then brag about their princess to anyone who listened. The boys weren't any better either; they treated her in the same Stepford trophy wife syndrome the girls would, only with a bit more subtlety. Not that the slight matter of difference mattered much. Quinn hated every minute of it. She wanted someone who liked her for her, not for her title.

Her other problem was with her father. Russell wanted his daughter to get married soon, preferably by the time she was 25 or so. Quinn thought that was hardly any time to meet anybody she loved, marry, and then prepare them to accompany her beside the throne. It was too much too soon. And to top it all off, while she did enjoy her current major, she'd been doing a great deal of thinking and was now having second thoughts on whether or not she chose the right field. Whoever said college would be some of the best years of their life probably never had to live through it as a royal.

Checking the battery life in her iPod on the table next to her laptop, Quinn glanced briefly at her wrist watch. Frowning slightly at the growing lateness of the hour, she knew she had to pick up the pace and finish the last few lines of her paper or she'd have to be up all night cramming. But somehow…somehow she just couldn't get motivated to keep going. The humid warmth of the shop had practically lulled her mind into drowsiness; the practically empty coffee cup seemed to be laughing at her with its very wide mouth, its promise of caffeine-filled energy totally unfulfilled. Another twenty minutes flew by and she still had yet to come up with anything substantial to add to her report.

_I guess that would be it then_, Quinn grumbled inwardly. She sighed and raked her fingers through her hair to sift through the tangles. _May as well pack it up and head home. Maybe a few minutes of sleep would do my brain good._

Having now resigned herself to the inevitability of having to pull yet another all-nighter, Quinn quickly collected her things and was about to round the corner of the second floor staircase's ledge when she was met with the warm softness of another young woman's body colliding heavily against her own. The contact was only brief, however, as the force of the impact sent both girls staggering back a bit and an unfortunate cup of steaming coffee to spill over and onto Quinn's favorite pair of Ralph Lauren Delfina penny loafers.

"Shit!" the newcomer - a brunette with long, wavy chestnut brown hair, _and an American no doubt judging from her accent_, Quinn noted - muttered under her breath. The girl lifted her head, and Quinn found herself looking into a pair of amazingly rich, and very apologetic, brown eyes.

"Oh my god, I am SO incredibly sorry!" the brunette apologized, righting herself to an upright position as she spoke. "I am such a klutz! I really should learn to start paying attention to where I'm going-"

"No, no, it's okay," Quinn, quickly snapping out of her momentarily-induced trance, cut-off the other girl in mid-apology. She offered the brunette a soft smile but soon frowned herself when she looked down and saw the growing wet splotches the liquid spill had left on her shoes.

"Oh no, I completely ruined your shoes!" she heard the other girl exclaim contritely.

Somehow knowing that the brunette would go into another apology-laden rant, Quinn put on an understanding smile and looked up, ready to appease the other girl but instead found herself unable to form words when she once again locked eyes with the beautiful brunette. Their gaze was broken by a rather loud 'harrumph!' coming from behind the brunette, who quickly gave way to an impatient-looking old man waiting on them to move. The man shot both girls a rather disapproving glare before making his way to the farthest (and most isolated) corner booth on the floor.

The coffee spill for the time being forgotten, both girls burst out into hardly controlled fits of giggles. Finally regaining control of their shared laughter, they smiled rather dumbly at one another, or more exactly, Quinn smiled rather dumbly at the gorgeous, shorter brunette in front of her. A lock of the brunette's bangs had fallen haphazardly on her face and Quinn had to hold herself back from reaching over to place the wayward lock of hair behind its owner's ear. She was once again snapped out of her trance when the brunette in question, apparently having now remembered her spilt coffee incident, mumbled another 'Oh God, your shoes!' before rushing to the nearest table and retrieving a small handful of paper napkins.

Just as she was about to crouch down to the floor to wipe away the remaining wet traces of coffee from the blonde's shoes, Quinn met the other girl half-way and softly gripped the brunette's wrist to stop her from getting on to her task.

"No, really, that won't be necessary. They're just shoes, I'm pretty sure I could always get a replacement," Quinn offered. Okay, that was a lie. Her loafers were quite vintage, which would mean she'd definitely be having a more than hard time finding a new pair if she were to indeed seek new ones out. But for some reason she just couldn't handle seeing any more worry or frown lines marring the brunette's beautiful face.

"Are you sure? I mean, those look vintage and I'd hate it if I totally ruined them for you because of my apparent klutziness," the yet-to-be named brunette breathed out.

"It really isn't that big of a deal," Quinn reassured.

"Honest? Because I'd be more than willing to pay for them-"

"Yes, really." Quinn had to smile. The other girl looked so adorably flustered that she just couldn't help it.

"Well, okay. Then, uh, um," the brunette fumbled, obviously trying to place a name. "Quinn," the young royal provided, extending her hand to the brunette who gripped hers lightly.

The brunette blushed slightly, a slight smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. "I'm Rachel," she gave the hand in hers a slow shake. Quinn's answering grin was as bright as a summer sun.

"Glad to meet you, Rachel." She quickly let go of Rachel's hand when she realized that she was staring.

"So, uh, I guess I'll be seeing you around?"

"Yes! I mean, uh, yeah. Well, I hope so," Rachel gave her a sheepish grin before waving her hand in the air. "Again, I really am sorry for the-"

"And like I said, no harm done," Quinn once again reassured her. A pregnant pause hung in the air before Quinn found her bearings. "Well, I should go," she pointed down the stairs dumbly.

Rachel nodded her head vigorously, which Quinn found notably cute. "Oh! Oh, yes. Me too. I should," she nodded with her own hand to the area behind Quinn. Both girls made a move forward but instead almost bumped into each other again.

"Right, I'll go this way and you go that way," Quinn suggested with a smile, her voice laced with amusement after another attempt yielded the same results. Rachel answered her with an equally amused grin and nodded. "After you."

They finally weaved their way past each other with success, and Rachel turned to her one last time. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Quinn," she smiled warmly. "And again, I'm really sorry about-"

"And for the millionth time, it's absolutely fine," Quinn threw back. After a beat, she added, "But yes, it was nice meeting you too, Rachel."

The wide grin the brunette gave her in return almost made her knees buckle and Quinn had to grip down on the railing beside her to keep from falling. After another beat, Rachel quietly made her way up the stairs and disappeared to one of the available tables near the window. Sighing, Quinn shook her head and took the rest of the steps down two at a time. As she wound her way around the maze of tables, she glanced back with a mixture of longing and curiosity at the staircase that lead to the beautiful vision by the corner window. She shook her head of her musings and turned back to the shop's entrance, finally making her way out into the softly falling rain and afternoon rush.

_Til we meet again..._


	2. In A Foreign Country Waiting For A Sign

**Chapter 1: I'm In A Foreign Country And I'm Waiting For A Sign**

It was a crisp January morning as spectators gathered in the football field to watch the seven-a-side tournament organized by St. Andrews University. Students filled the bleachers, busy chatting amongst themselves and cheering on their home team, while others chose to settle down across the field out on the grasses for a better view of the game.

"I can't believe you dragged me all the way out here to watch…_this_!" Rachel Berry huffed, waving her hand indicating the scene in front of her.

"What? I thought you loved sports?" Jesse St. James, her childhood best friend shot back.

"Yes, I do love sports…sports that I actually _know_ how to play," she retorted. She looked over to Tina, her other best friend, and continued her rant. "Do you understand any of this? This, this… what's this sport again? Touch football?"

"It's _rugby_. How many times do I have to repeat myself?" Jesse answered back a little annoyed. "Now shush, it's getting really exciting."

"Whatever," Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. "Because watching guys tackling each other into the mud and slapping their teammates' butts is considered entertaining."

"You know, if you actually paid attention to the game instead of complaining every five minutes, maybe you'd appreciate it," Jesse said as he reached over and grabbed a Pepsi from the cooler.

Rachel pulled a face, wrinkling her nose in annoyance. "But you know, we could've sat over there," She nodded towards the rows of bleachers surrounding the field. "In the bleachers. Where everybody else is at." She wrinkled her nose again and shot Jesse another glare. "Why do we have to sit out here again? On the grass?"

Jesse rolled his eyes, "_Because_ it's more comfortable and we have a better view of the game." He looked over his shoulder and saw another group of spectators sprawled out on the field as well. "And besides, we're not the only ones here."

Rachel turned her gaze to Jesse's view and furrowed her eyebrows. "So? At least they _want_ to be here."

Tina, who was busy fiddling with her phone, had had enough of her friends' bickering. "Rach, just give it a break okay? It's not that bad. And besides," she paused as she caught Rachel's eyes and smirked. "There are _a lot_ of cute guys here. Or girls, whichever your preference."

Rachel raised an eyebrow and returned the other girl's smirk. "Hmmm, I guess that _is_ worth something." She leaned back on her elbows taking in the scene in front of her and smiled when she spotted a cute player. "Yep, definitely worth something."

Jesse just looked at his two best friends and shook his head. "Women." He glanced over and saw one of the big burly bodyguards hand Rachel her drink. "Hey, why'd you have to bring Bob and JD along anyway?"

"Because, as I told you earlier, dear old William didn't want to take any chances with his most-prized possession," Rachel said as she brought down her sunglasses.

"Please, _dear old William_ just doesn't want to scratch the merchandize that's making him millions," Jesse retorted sarcastically as he ripped open a bag of chips.

"Pshh," Rachel waved her hand dismissively. "You're just jealous _you_ don't get to work with Halle Berry and Charlize Theron like I do."

Jesse shot both girls a look as they giggled teasingly at him. He scooted a few feet away from them and focused his attention on the game and grumbled something along the lines of "Damn celebrities and their perks," causing Rachel and Tina to burst out in laughter.

Rachel Berry was as famous a movie star anybody her age could aspire to be, but it wasn't exactly something she took so seriously, but never took for granted either. Sugar-coated and seemingly as glamorous as it was, she knew just how cutthroat and unforgiving the entertainment industry could be. Sure, she was recognized as an acting and singing ingénue early on, but it also took a long while, roughly five years in fact, for her to fully convince those executive bigwigs and infinitely harder to please critics of her talent's worth. You see, she had the unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on which way you look at it) luck of being born into the set of super-rich, super-pampered kids lovingly dubbed by the press as 'celebutantes', which include Baby Oil heiress Casey Johnson, media scion Amanda Hearst, and girls with names like Soleil. This was, of course, all due to her father, Hiram A. Berry, who just so happened to be one of America's wealthiest and most prominent political figures.

"Oh lighten up, Jesse," Rachel said, shuffling over on her knees to kneel behind him. She wrapped her arms around her grumbling best friend and rested her head on Jesse's shoulder. "You haven't forgotten about the LA party I invited you and the guys to, have you?"

Jesse grinned and rested back against Rachel's body. "No, I haven't."

Rachel smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek and smirked, "Don't say I never did you any favors, St. James."

"So I guess the rumors _are_ true," a female voice broke in. Another voice, a male one, piped in. "Yep, the press is gonna have a field day with this one."

Rachel squinted and looked up at the source – a girl and two guys hovered above them. The girl, a bit on the heavyset side, had one arm poised on her waist in a very diva-ish pose and was looking down at them with a cocked eyebrow. One of the guys, the more flamboyant of the two, had his hair immaculately done up and was decked out in Calvin Klein, from his dark green peacoat down to his skinny jeans and fashionable boots. Finally, the tallest of the three (and sole blond of the group), wore a pair of dark denim jeans with his light hoodie. He flashed them his usual lopsided, boyish smirk.

"Hi to you too," Rachel said with a roll of her eyes but made no move to dislodge Jesse off her body.

Jesse also looked up and grinned, "Glad you finally thought of showing up. Sam, dude," he nodded at the taller boy. "You practically missed half of the game!"

Sam squinted and looked over at the girl in their company and smirked, "Yeah, well, miss Drama Queen here just _could not_ leave without finding her charm bracelet," causing the girl to glare at him and smack his arm. "Hey, ow!"

Rachel's facial features grew a bit worried. She knew how much that bracelet meant to the other girl. "Mercedes, you still haven't found it?"

Mercedes shot Sam another glare and placed both hands on her hips. "Actually, I have." She held up her right hand and showed the bracelet in question. "It was shucked into a pile of magazines by the dresser in my room. I probably accidentally knocked it off there when I was charging my cell phone," she said sheepishly.

Tina, who had once again been too preoccupied listening to her phone's music player, finally looked up and noticed the newcomers.

"Mercedes, Kurt! You're finally here!" she exclaimed and turned off her player to help the two with the load they were carrying.

"Glad to see you too, Tina," Sam said sarcastically.

Tina turned her head and gave him a nod, "Oh, hey Sam."

Sam mumbled something under his breath, and after placing all his stuff down on the grass, plopped down onto the spread out picnic blanket. "Yeah, we would've been here sooner but a certain someone just couldn't…" he stopped in mid-sentence when he spotted Mercedes giving him her patented evil eye.

"So, who's hungry?" Sam asked innocently, eyeing a sandwich. Mercedes glared for a moment at him, who returned a mock-glare of his own that sent Mercedes into a fit of giggles. Sam, and everybody else, laughed too, and they both dug into some sandwiches.

Across the field, Quinn Fabray sat down with her friends as they also watched the game.

"You know I really don't want to be here, right?" Quinn said to her friends.

"Yeah, yeah so we've heard. But come on, look around you," Santana Lopez said. Santana, also an art major and an old Benenden schoolmate of Quinn's, sat with their mutual friend Brittany as they watched the game.

"Just what I need, another woman to complicate my life," Quinn moaned.

"They can't be all that bad Q, you have one for every day of the week. So what if the last one turned out to be a leech instead of a…"

"I really don't want to talk about her."

Bringing down her sunglasses, Quinn laid back and placed her arms behind her, resting her head there, the sun's rays warming her head. Her last girlfriend, Heather, had pretty much forced her way into Buckingham to meet her family. She was disgusted with her actions and broke up with her three weeks ago. Quinn was now completely single, even though she had had plenty of offers for dates. She hated this life of meaningless relationships, of girls and boys alike using her for themselves. Her mother had warned her of meaningless relationships and now she knew how right she was. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the world of happy, chattering students. A small smile crept on her face as ghost images of a particular brown-eyed brunette fleeted about in her head... _Rachel_.

After her little bump with the beautiful American, she found it hard to concentrate on anything else. Which was why she had spent all of last night up 'til the wee hours of the morning finishing her long-overdue term paper.

She stifled a yawn and tried to relax. She tried to suppress another small smile as her thoughts went back to the brunette stranger.

"Ok, we won't talk about her then," Brittany said, breaking into Quinn's reverie. "Let's try to find someone who will take your mind off of her."

"You know what I really want?" Quinn said.

"What?" Santana asked. "I'm afraid to ask though," she said as they all laughed.

"I want someone who wants me for me. Not for what I have or who I am."

"Yes, well, good luck with that then. I mean, considering you are about as well known as the Pope."

"There has got to be someone out there," Quinn said. They turned and looked at a group of girls who were obviously trying to seize Quinn's attention and cringed.

"Yeah, you're right," Brittany said seriously. "She's out there."

"And she is probably someone's grandmother," Santana added as they all laughed.

"Probably." Quinn sighed wistfully and sat up and leaned back on her hand. "But I can still keep hoping...and looking."

The girls sat in silent contemplation, until Noah Puckerman (Puck to his friends), Quinn's flatmate and 'rumored boyfriend' (at least according to the press), approached them.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted with a winning smile. He held his hands up and waggled his eyebrows. "I bring sweet, sweet reprieve."

"Hell yes!" Santana exclaimed. She hurriedly stood up and took one of the Stella Artois six-packs the boy was carrying and without haste popped open one of the cans, taking a big gulp of the lager and tossing Quinn and Brittany a can each. "You are a savior, Puckerman."

"That I am," Puck grinned as he took a seat next to the girls and popped open a drink of his own.

The four of them had known each other since freshman year of uni. Quinn and Brittany had been designated as roommates, and while wary of each other at first, quickly became friends once they discovered each other's mutual love for indie rock music and old re-runs of _Remington Steele_. Santana meanwhile shared a class with both girls in their first semester, so it was only natural the three of them bonded together.

They had met Puck at a frat party where he, big flirt that he was, simultaneously (and shamelessly) hit on all three girls at once. Quinn, of course, gracefully shot down his advances, informing him that while she did enjoy sharing the occasional snog or two with boys, she was more heavily-inclined towards the female populace. Brittany had laughed it off, and Santana, after thoroughly ripping apart Puck's unoriginal pick up lines, spent most of that night chatting him up and comparing notes on how to best pick up girls and rating the hotness level of every female in the party (to which Quinn had simply rolled her eyes at).

Now in their sophomore year, Quinn and Brittany had moved out of the dorms and chose to reside in a quaint home just outside of Fife. Puck had offered to room in with them, and Santana, while more than loving the idea of living with her three best friends, moved into a deluxe apartment near St. Andrews' golf course as per her parents' (insistent) request.

"Well, what _I_ need is a fresh breather." Quinn took one last pull of her drink before standing up and dusting off her jeans. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the same group of girls from earlier giggling and taking darted pictures with their camera phones. "I'm going for a walk," she announced to her friends.

"You need any company?"

Quinn zipped her tracksuit jacket all the way up to her throat. "Nah, I'm good."

"Okay, but if someone so much as hassles you just yell and I'll have Mr. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson here come to your rescue," Puck said, pointing to one of Quinn's 'hidden' security guards.

"Thank you for the concern but no, I'll be fine." Quinn eyed her security entourage knowing perfectly well that despite any protests she may give they'd still end up following her. It was royal protocol after all. With a final bid of 'see you later', Quinn quickly went on her way and was almost immediately lost in the sea of students matriculating the fields.

"I'm worried about her," Brittany told her remaining two friends as they watched Quinn disappear into the crowd.

"Yes, me too," Santana agreed. All joking aside, she really was concerned for her childhood best friend.

"Is this about that thing with Heather?" Puck inquired having missed the girls' earlier conversation. He frowned when both girls nodded. "Well, that simply won't do then. We need to find our little princess a new bird to fawn over. I'm sure it won't be that hard since she _does_ have every woman under the age of 30 hounding her for a date."

"Yes, but that's just it. All of those girls just want to say they've snogged with Quinn. She once told me that her life is filled with meaningless relationships, that she has never once found true love," Santana said.

"She needs someone to truly love her, not just because of her title," Brittany replied, and Puck and Santana nodded. The three friends were quiet for a while as they asked themselves the same question. Who could possibly love their friend for who she is, and not all that she will be, they wondered.

* * *

"Oh, god, I really need to pee," Tina exclaimed and hurriedly got up. She looked over at Rachel, who was starting to understand the mechanics of the game, and tapped her shoulder.

Rachel took her eyes off the game and arched an eyebrow. "Hey, you okay?"

Tina bit her bottom lip and squeaked, "Could you go with me to the bathroom?"

Rachel looked at her best friend and noted the urgency on her face. "Why, what's wrong? You don't have diarrhea, do you? Because if you do we cou-"

Tina rolled her eyes but giggled at the other girl's concern. "Uh, no. I just really need to pee."

"Oh," Rachel smiled in relief. "Well, why don't you ask Jesse instead? After all, he is the only one who's ever been here before."

They both looked over at Jesse and Sam who were too busy cheering at the game to pay attention to anything else. Rachel tsk-ed and shook her head. "No, I don't think we'd be able to pry him away from the game."

She walked over to the boys and tapped Jesse's shoulder, "Jess, where's the bathroom around here?"

"Go straight down the path and take a left turn," he indicated with his hand absent-mindedly. "It's a few yards away from the parking lot. You can't miss it."

Rachel rolled her eyes again and turned to Tina. "Well, I guess we'll just have to call for help if we get lost."

* * *

Quinn, after somewhat successfully ditching her bodyguards with the lame excuse of having to go to the bathroom, stood outside the women's restroom warily. She _really _wasn't in the mood to face the gaggle of girls inside and have them recognize her.

_Well then why did you tell them you had to go then?_ Quinn rolled her eyes when she saw her security escort hovering several yards away. _Because you didn't want them to continue following you around like a pack of bloodhounds. I mean, really, is a little time to myself too much to ask?_

She looked around and spotted two girls walking briskly towards her. Not wanting to risk another groupie encounter, Quinn quickly ducked her head and pretended to be interested in her shoes.

Rachel was trying to keep up with Tina as they practically ran towards the women's bathroom. "Tina, slow down!"

"I can't! I really, really need to pee!" Tina yelled back over her shoulder. They walked so fast that they nearly collided with another young woman standing outside the door.

"Sorry!" Rachel called over her shoulder as she and Josie made their way inside the bathroom.

* * *

Quinn felt someone brush her lightly and as she looked up to see who it was, all she saw was the fleeting image of two girls hurrying inside the bathroom and a hasty apology said by one of them. She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. She shook her startle off and decided to sit down on one of the nearby flower boxes.

Outside, she looked like all of the other students, anxious over the game and who'd win the tournament. Inside, however, she wanted to damn every girl and boy who had ever flirted with her heart. Why was she used by so many? Didn't they know how weak the human heart was, especially after it had been wounded by so many?

The only woman who had ever loved her had been her dear mummy. But even that couldn't erase the emptiness she felt. She felt a stab of jealousy as she thought of her friends. Most of them had a steady bird, someone they said they loved and thought the world of. Some were already talking of marriage. Marriage! Quinn abhorred the thought. She knew no one she wanted to share her life with. Maybe I was never meant to know love, she suddenly thought. The realization scared her as she stared out across the field.

* * *

"Oh, for Barbra's sake!" Rachel exclaimed as they entered the bathroom. It had five stalls and each one had a line of three girls waiting for their turn. "I never took rugby to be a huge hit with girls," she mumbled.

Rachel frowned and turned to her best friend, "Hey, um, maybe I should just wait for you outside?"

"What? Why?"

Rachel's frown deepened and she nodded towards the other girls. For someone as smart as her best friend, Tina could often be so clueless. "Because…"

Tina stood there for a second not knowing what the other girl meant, but finally got the idea when Rachel mimicked signing an autograph and flashing a camera. "Oh. Oh! Right, of course. Sure, you just wait outside, I'll be fine."

Rachel exhaled her relief and smiled at the other girl. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Tina smiled and pushed her towards the door "Yes, I'm pretty sure I could pee on my own. I won't take too long."

"Alright, but if you're not out in ten minutes, I'm coming in there to get you, along with a search party and the coast guard," Rachel grinned.

"Go!" Tina mock glared.

* * *

Quinn contemplated going back to her friends to enjoy the rest of the game but didn't want another interrogation of her nonexistent love life. Sighing, she buried her head in her hands, attempting to rub away the incoming headache the stress and worries of being the next in line to the throne gave her, and she never heard the door open nor notice someone stand within arms' reach of her.

* * *

Rachel looked around cautiously to see if anybody, fans in particular, had spotted her. Not that she didn't love her fans or anything, she did…it felt good to be acknowledged and appreciated for her work. She just didn't like the oftentimes excessive unwanted attention of being in the spotlight brought. And while she had some of the best fans in the world, there were the occasional few who had the reputation of being too overly zealous with their admiration for her.

_They're like CIA agents or something,_ she thought as she glanced around. _How on earth do they acquire confidential information about my whereabouts anyway?_ She looked to her right and saw nothing but the same young woman whom they almost bumped into earlier.

She thought of apologizing again but decided against it when the girl heaved a sigh and continued to rub her head with her hands. Instead she decided to not bother her, seeing that she seemed to be in deep thought, and thought that maybe the girl wouldn't appreciate her intruding. She crossed her arms across her chest and brought down her baseball cap to her eyes and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

* * *

Quinn was brought out of her self-induced pity party when she heard somebody cough nearby and decided to look up.

Rachel cursed herself as she coughed when, in the corner of her eye, she noticed the other girl look up at her. She decided it would be more polite, and hoped that she would leave her alone, if she smiled at her.

Quinn's breath caught in her throat when the girl turned to look at her and briefly flashed her a warm, be-dimpled albeit shy smile, showing what Quinn thought, even with the baseball cap down, were cute crinkles around her piercing brown eyes before turning her attention away from her. She felt her face grow warm; the girl was quite pretty. Blushing, Quinn dropped her head again and bit her bottom lip.

_Oh, God. Quinn, don't make a fool out of yourself. She's just another girl who'd be more interested in the fact that your father's the king of bloody England than in finding the time to get to know you!_ Quinn scolded herself as she thought of how beautiful the girl looked and how she had to have the most gorgeous smile she'd ever seen. _Okay, Q. Focus. Do not get carried away by physical beauty. AGAIN!_

As Quinn continued an argument inside her head, Rachel quirked an eyebrow and glanced curiously at the other girl. She noticed she had her head down and was 'hitting' herself on the head while mumbling something.

_Is she okay? Maybe I upset her..._ She looked over at the girl again and this time caught her gaze. She gave her an impish grin and started to blush when she smiled back. She ducked her head and Rachel thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

_Oh Barbra, no,_ she suddenly thought in panic. _Maybe she's one of those psycho fan stalkers Will always warned me about! Damn it, Tina! Where are you?!_

As her head lifted, Quinn caught sight of the other girl looking at her. The brunette's face curled into another of those wonderfully warm shy smiles and her eyes softened into the color of chocolate fondue that Quinn felt reach into her mind. Suddenly, a sense of familiarity crossed her.

_Wait, I've seen her before… but where?_ Quinn racked her brain, trying to remember where she'd seen that captivating, beautiful face before.

The girl's lips curved upwards in the same moment those thoughts were flitting through Quinn's mind at a rate of knots. She quickly ducked her head again when she noticed the girl's smile turn into a slight smirk.

Rachel bit her bottom lip and looked anywhere but at the blonde. Now that she had a better look at her, she was quite good looking. Okay, she's cute. A little kooky, but cute. _Very_ cute. She noticed her tuck a wayward strand of blonde hair behind her ear and curse lightly at herself, noticing the other girl's ears were as red as her face. Rachel couldn't help but giggle a little.

_Aww, she's way too adorable! Okay, no! Rachel, no! Focus. Remember, she may be a crazed fan who's likely to kidnap you and…_ Rachel stopped in mid-babble when she saw the girl was looking up at her and wearing a warm smile. _Wow, scratch that. She's gorgeous. Oh wait. I know I've seen her before… but where?_

Quinn looked up when she heard a low giggle. Her worried feature softened to a warm smile when she noticed the girl fidgeting nervously. Her smile grew when it finally hit her. Rachel!

Rachel's eyes went wide as she realized how silly she must look, so she blurted out, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

Quinn jumped at the sound of her voice, which sounded more musical and smooth than the last time she heard it. It was her... the brunette who had accidentally spilled coffee all over her vintage loafers at the café the previous day.

Quinn let out a breath very, very slowly so no one would notice. The one person who had been occupying her mind for seemingly no reason at all... and they had bumped into each other again. Quinn desperately wanted to be somewhere else... and yet at the same time there was nowhere else she would rather be than next to this girl. She quickly cast her gaze downward, a sudden attack of shyness overcoming her beyond measure.

Rachel was about to embark on a very sincere apology when she finally remembered the face and name of the blonde. Rachel felt her heart do a little jig.

"Hey... hey... it's you!" the brunette said excitedly. "I mean, at the coffee shop yesterday... I spilled coffee all over your shoes?"

Rachel cut herself off and grinned apologetically as she remembered the incident, tilting her head to one side as though that would help the blonde recognize her.

_Of course I remember... how could I forget a face like yours?_ Quinn managed to look up for a few moments and the barest of smiles flicked across her face as she nodded. The other girl was just as gorgeous as she remembered, attired in casual jeans and a maroon turtleneck under a lightweight leather jacket, the top bringing out her sparkling brown eyes.

Her grin widening, Quinn nodded her head silently and stood up.

"Yes, I remember."

_TBC_


	3. And It's Beginning To Get To Me

**Chapter 2: And It's Beginning To Get To Me**

"Quinn?" Rachel asked, the pleasant surprise obvious in her voice. The other girl's blonde hair was swept back by the oversized sunglasses perching on her head and Rachel smiled, her bright hazel eyes a familiar sight.

Quinn smiled at the sound of her name uttered from those luscious lips and she felt her heartbeat speed up a little more. _She remembers me! And God I just love the way she says my name...It's almost like my name just rolls off her tongue..._

"Rachel?" the blonde countered.

Rachel blushed a little as Quinn smiled warmly at her. "Yep, that's me," she confirmed a bit too cheerfully.

Rachel mentally kicked herself. _All those awards and acting classes, and that's all you can come up with?! Geez, Berry, can you be anymore pathetic?_

Quinn couldn't stop smiling when a tinge of red started to creep onto Rachel's cheeks. _She's so beautiful when she blushes_, Quinn observed, softly shaking her head and ducking down again.

A strained silence fell between the two as neither one of them made the eye contact both so desperately wanted.

The tense moment was interrupted by the rather loud ringing of Quinn's cell phone, to which Quinn blushed hotly as to her utter mortification, the chorus to 2 Live Crew's _Me So Horny_ filled the air. She hastily took her phone out and fumbled a bit with it before successfully managing to cut-off the offending ringtone.

"_What_?" she hissed into the speaker. She turned slightly to the side averting herself from Rachel's amused gaze and tried desperately not to combust from absolute embarrassment. She rolled her eyes as she listened to Puck prattle on the other line. "Puck, no... I already told you about a hundred times... I'm not... Look, I'm _really_ not in the mood for this... Because!"

Rachel thought Quinn's fumble for words was completely adorable. As much as she didn't want to eavesdrop on whatever conversation the blonde was having on the phone, she couldn't help it. Especially since Quinn was only a few feet away. Slowly and cautiously, she turned to steal a quick look at the blonde again. At that same moment, Quinn looked up at Rachel and she met the most intense hazel gaze she thought she'd ever seen. For a seemingly endless moment, the two locked eyes and simply took the other in. Swimming in a dizzy haze of widening realization, everything else seemed to fade into black, leaving the two of them alone.

Quinn could hear Puck talking to her on the other line. She knew that there were people chattering about enjoying the game. She knew that she was standing only a few yards away from the girls' bathroom, and that a small group of girls had exited it and were whispering and giggling as they walked away, glancing over their shoulders trying to determine whether or not it was a true blue royal standing outside the restrooms. But everything was muffled, far away, irrelevant, insubstantial. The only thing Quinn was sure of in that moment was that a few yards in front of her was someone she thought she would never meet again, no matter how much she had hoped for it, and she had no idea what to say.

Having now gotten a really good (and somewhat less unobstructed) look at her, Quinn thought Rachel was even more gorgeous than she remembered; her familiar chocolate brown hair, though partially hidden by her maroon baseball cap, and sparkling brown eyes were just so perfect with her face and slim body. She reminded her of the rare beautiful girls she had seen in her life. Not the models or famous actresses she had met. Although those girls were good-looking and glamorous, they had no substance. But yet, at the back of her mind, nagging her, there was something so oddly familiar about the other girl. She couldn't place it at that moment but she didn't really care. Even Puck's voice couldn't break her out of her reverie.

"_Quinn...Quinn! Are you even listening to me?_"

_God, she's really, really hot,_ Quinn thought guiltily, as though the brunette might be able to read her mind as well as her eyes. _No, it's more than that; she's beautiful. She's __**insanely **__beautiful. And I think I'm drooling..._

Snapping herself out of her love struck gaze, Quinn blinked, turning her attention to her flat mate on the other line, who had now stopped talking and turned uncharacteristically quiet. Taking a breath in and slowly exhaling, she flashed Rachel a coy grin and turned slightly to the side again, keeping her line of vision trained on the patch of bushes in front of her. It was safer that way. Safer and less obvious.

Tina chose that moment to come out of the bathroom. She spotted her best friend, back turned to her, and approached her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

Rachel jumped and let out a squeal in surprise as she felt someone tap her shoulder. "Jesus! Tina," she exclaimed none-too-quietly, hand on her chest, as she turned to face her best friend. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Chill, Rach!" Tina smirked. "You watch way too many horror movies."

Rachel shot her a look and pouted. "I do not!"

Tina giggled at Rachel's childish expression and grabbed her hand. "Okay, fine, you don't. Now come on, we've been gone for quite a while. The gang's probably worried about us."

Rachel rolled her eyes and smirked. "Yeah, right. Kurt and Mercedes maybe. But Jesse and Sam, I totally doubt they've even noticed we're gone."

The two girls giggled and turned to walk back to their friends.

Quinn felt her stomach do flip-flops as she heard Rachel and her friend talk and giggle. Her heart hammered in her chest as Rachel gave her one final smile, waved and walked away, leaving her and Puck alone on the phone.

On the other side of the line, Puck was starting to get worried for his friend. Though Quinn usually kept silent during the majority of their conversations, the girl on the other line sounded completely out of it. "Quinn, are you sure you're all right? You haven't dropped dead on me, have you?"

Quinn sighed and finally addressed Puck. "No, yes, I'm fine. I just..." she looked longingly at the two fading figures in the distance. Quinn wrapped her free arm around her midsection, trying to ignore the pitter patter of her beating heart and the fluttering butterflies in her stomach.

Puck became quiet again as he mulled over his friend's situation. He only knew of two things that would leave Quinn as unsettled as she currently was. But seeing as there was no way for those bloody reporters to enter university grounds without them knowing, he settled for the latter option.

"Why Quinn Lucille Fabray," Puck started accusingly. "Don't tell me you've just caught yourself a new love interest!"

Quinn quickly shook out of her trance when she heard Puck's teasing and shrugged innocently, as if the boy could see her doing so. "What?"

"Oh, don't _what_ me," Puck said, his voice carrying on a knowing tone. "I know that silence! I've _seen_ that silence. Now tell me, who's the girl?"

Quinn was at a loss of words. _Oh, wonderful. Now Puck knows! Pretty soon the other girls will know and I'll never hear the end of it!_

"Puck, there's no girl," Quinn stated as firmly as possible. Puck remained silent on the other line, and Quinn guessed he was probably biting his tongue to keep from commenting otherwise. Unable to take it, the blonde royal acquiesced. "All right, fine!"

"A-ha!" Puck whooped triumphantly. "So, what's her name? Did you talk to her?"

Quinn smiled at her friend's eagerness and sighed. "Her name's Rachel, and yes, I talked to her. Well, sort of."

"Rachel, huh? Sounds like a pretty one," Puck carried on their conversation as Quinn began the trek back to their group.

_A very beautiful name fitting a very beautiful girl indeed_, Quinn thought.

Puck caught the renewed bout of silence from the other line and his grin grew wider. "Ah, was she from that group of girls from earlier? Or the other one you 'met' yesterday at the Coffee Shop?"

"A definite no to the first, but a yes to the latter. And talked in phrases was more like it," Quinn said as she kicked a pebble.

"Cat got your tongue?" Puck teased.

"Something like that. It was just, she was so beautiful, and her smile was just absolutely gorgeous, and I'm shutting up now." Quinn blushed and buried her free hand in her jacket pocket.

"Quinn Fabray, Her Royal Highness, is gushing and blushing over a girl!" Puck exclaimed as Quinn blushed even more. "Wait till the girls hear about this!" With that, Puck unceremoniously hung up leaving a red-faced Quinn gaping on the other line.

"Puckerman! No! Don't you even dare!" Quinn yelled at Puck as she neared her friends and ran after him.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Rachel and Tina neared their friends, Tina noticed that Rachel was being awfully quiet on their walk back. She instantly grew worried. "Rach, are you okay?"

Rachel looked up and saw concerned eyes gazing at her. "Uh, yeah, yes. I'm fine. I just..." she trailed off as she fumbled over trying to find an explanation. _Should I tell her or shouldn't I?_ she mulled over. Is there even anything to tell? She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Nothing." _So much for trusting your best friend.  
_  
"Are you sure?"

Rachel smiled and assured the other girl. "Yes, T, I'm fine. Honest."

Tina sighed and shook her head. "Ok, whatever."

Rachel bit her lip guiltily. Should she really tell her best friend? _Tell her what? That you're smitten with a girl you barely know except her name?_ She shook her head. _Smitten? Geez, I've been spending too much time around here. I'm starting to talk like the locals...hmm...although Quinn did have a nice voice. A really raspy, sexy voice. _

Rachel smirked to herself and decided to let it slide as just another case of insane crushes that'll never work out in the long run. With that, she plopped back down on the blanket and smiled. "So, how's the game?"

"Intense. Henry's team is winning!" Jesse exclaimed, his eyes never leaving the field.

"Oh, cool."

Jesse glanced briefly at Rachel and noticed the smile plastered on her face. "Hey, you okay? You didn't get into any trouble back there did you?"

Rachel just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I'm fine. It's just... isn't it a beautiful day?"

Jesse just looked at her blankly before answering. "Uh, yeah sure." He looked over at Tina who just shrugged.

"Oh, hey! Henry's got the ball!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly and stood up. "Go Henry go!"

At that, Jesse turned his attention back to the game and joined Rachel as she cheered his friend on.

* * *

"God, I'm so hungry," Rachel moaned in complaint two hours later. Henry's team had won and everybody was packing up and heading towards the parking lot.

"Hungry? You practically polished off all the sandwiches and chips! And you're still hungry?" Kurt exclaimed in bewilderment.

"What? That was well over two hours ago!" Rachel explained, as if that answered his question.

"Damn, Rach, where do you put all that food?" Mercedes teased. She, along with everybody else, could never understand how the press could allege her childhood friend as anorexic when she really wasn't, and in fact, ate like a pig.

Rachel pulled a face, not at all amused at the dig. It wasn't her fault she easily got hungry. "Come on, I'm starving here and all you can do is tease and mock me?" she whined.

"Oh, that's not good," Sam said.

"Yeah, a hungry, whining celebrity is never a good thing…especially for her posse," Jesse chimed in.

Rachel glared at the two before smacking them both on the arm.

"Ow! All right, fine," Jesse exclaimed, shielding himself from the brunette's swats. "Here's twenty quids! Go knock yourself out!" he said, handing over the note to the irate brunette.

Rachel smiled triumphantly, thanked him with a loud kiss on the cheek, and then ran off to one of the food stands.

Jesse wiped at his cheek and rubbed his bruised arm. "I swear to God, that girl eats like a pig and the media actually calls her anorexic."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I know, but hey, just shows what they know."

* * *

"Can I get a Classic Superclub and some sea salt popcorn?" Quinn told the vendor, placing her order. "Oh, and a bottle of water as well."

Quinn inhaled the scent of popping corn kernels and licked her lips as her stomach rumbled. _That's what you get for not eating anything._

Quinn had discovered that Rachel and her friends were only a few clusters away and so spent the rest of the afternoon gazing over at Rachel rather than to occupy herself with something as trivial as eating. She observed how the beautiful brunette interacted with her friends. She couldn't help but stare at her. She'd wanted to look at her and never stop. Everyone and everything else, the game and the various girls crowding in front of her, was invisible. Rachel was the only one that mattered. She watched as she tossed her lovely dark chestnut hair when she laughed. Quinn had briefly wondered (not for the first time that day) if she should go up to her and ask her if she would mind if she ran her fingers through her hair.

_Stop it, Quinn!_ She told herself. She knew she couldn't go up to the other girl and ask such a ridiculous question. But a great part of her wanted to, very badly.

"Hi... I'd like an order of the spicy falafel melt, please."

Quinn thought she was hallucinating Rachel's sweet voice, but when she looked to her left, there she stood, looking as beautiful as their earlier encounter, only this time she had lost the baseball cap and her wavy chestnut brown hair was tumbling down around her shoulders framing her face like a priceless painting. She smiled at the vendor and practically bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited for her order.

_How can someone be so beautiful? _Quinn barely contained the smile threatening to burst across her face as she continued gazing at her. Rachel was barely five feet away from her, but Quinn wondered if she could hear her heart hammering in her chest.

Rachel felt as if eyes were watching her, and so she turned to her left. To her surprise, and delight, there was Quinn, looking at her, blushing, and quickly ducking her head again.

_She is so adorable_, Rachel grinned, barely containing a full-blown smile from erupting across her face.

"Quinn!" One word – just her name – and her heart skipped.

"Wow, fancy seeing you again," Rachel said, trying to keep the surprise and excitement down in her voice.

Quinn looked up and saw two pools of brown gazing warmly at her. "Rachel...yes, it is quite a surprise." Quinn bit her lip. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Same here," Rachel said. Now that she had a better look at the other girl, she swore she'd seen Quinn somewhere before but couldn't quite place it.

"Umm, this'll sound ridiculous, but um, besides yesterday, have we met before?" Rachel asked pointedly. No sense in beating around the bush, she always said.

"Umm, well, unless you go to St. Andrews or are from around these parts..." Quinn chuckled nervously.

"You're right. My mistake," Rachel replied, shuffling her feet. "It's just, you look so familiar and...never mind." _Wow, and the award for biggest dork of the year goes to..._

"I get that all the time," Quinn smiled, brushing the comment off. "I mean, you look vaguely familiar too. Other than from having met you yesterday, that is."

"Yeah, I get that all the time, too." Rachel replied with a chuckle.

"I'm usually pretty good with names and faces but I'm not sure where I know yours from," Quinn said, baffled by why Rachel looked familiar yet she couldn't place it.

"Like I said, I get it all the time," Rachel said, hoping that Quinn wasn't one of those autograph hounds. She really didn't want to deal with that right now, especially while she's on vacation, and especially when she was starting to like the blonde.

Quinn bit her lower lip and hoped she didn't blow her chances by being so persistent. "So I take it you're not from around here then?" _Oh, right. Of course she isn't, you moron! She just said so..._

"Uh, no. The US actually," Rachel winced when her voice came out as a high-pitched squeak. "I'm from the US. I'm only here on vacation."

Quinn chuckled, "Yes, I should have gotten that from your accent." _Oh, now you go and make fun of her accent!_

Rachel blushed and smiled. "Uh, yeah. I guess."

Silence filled the air as the two smiled at each other awkwardly.

"So umm..." Quinn started. Say something! "Umm, did you enjoy the game?"

Rachel smiled and brought her arms across her chest again, a habit she'd had since she was little when talking with somebody who'd drawn her interest. "Honestly, I didn't know the first thing about rugby when the game started," she laughed nervously. _Dork,_ she told herself, _you're a big dork. And she can see that._

Quinn couldn't help but laugh along with her. _She's got such a beautiful laugh._ Her heart beat a bit faster when a gust of wind blew a few rogue strands of hair into Rachel's eyes. Rachel reached up absently and brushed them back, tucking them behind her ear. _I want to do that,_ Quinn thought, and actually clenched her left hand inside her sweater pocket. Rachel smiled a be-dimpled grin at her, making Quinn a little weak in the knees. _Oh, Fabray...you've got it __**bad**__ for this one._

Rachel bit her lower lip and tried to compose herself. _Okay, try not to make yourself sound like the biggest dork again, all right?_ "Yeah, well, I finally was able to understand it, that is, after several lectures on the history and mechanics of rugby from my best friend."

"Oh, so you're here to watch a friend play?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied and smiled somewhat smugly. "His team actually won."

"Oh." Quinn nodded her head in reply. "Umm, our team actually lost," she said in a slightly embarrassed tone. "Well, not really. We finished second and we won three crates of beer," she grinned.

"The Rat Pack right?" Rachel asked. "Nice name. Big Sinatra fan?" Rachel's smile grew into a grin when Quinn laughed and replied "I, uh, honestly don't know. I suppose so." She had a deep-throated laugh which sent goosebumps down Rachel's spine.

Rachel laughed as well and shook her head. "I guess three crates of beer isn't a total loss."

Quinn's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, nothing like alcohol to liven the spirits of defeated men, huh?"

They both shared another laugh and all Quinn could think about was how captivating Rachel was and how much she wanted to get to know more about the other girl. So much more. She sighed. She sounded like a lovesick fool, which she probably was. But she didn't want to scare the brunette away, and she had made enough mistakes with girls that she knew to become friends first and lovers later.

"Rachel, I was wondering..." Before Quinn could say another word, a brown-haired man came jogging down the field calling out Rachel's name. Rachel turned to the direction of the voice and raised an eyebrow.

"Jesse?" Rachel asked with slight surprise and annoyance.

"Hey," Jesse replied as he walked casually up to Rachel and placed his arm around her shoulder.

Quinn eyed the newcomer closely and frowned when she noticed the way Rachel leaned in a bit into his embrace. Quinn had guessed that the guy was her boyfriend. Someone like that was bound to have guys all over her, she told herself, and felt a tightening in her chest.

It only took a second for the young royal to identify the feeling as jealousy.

_Jealousy? Now there's something you don't see everyday,_ Quinn thought with a snort. The notoriously shy future head of the monarch getting jealous over a girl she barely even knows? Certainly was a first in her books.

"Have you ordered yet?" Jesse said, running his hands in his thick brown hair.

Rachel eyed him suspiciously and arched her eyebrow. "Yes, why?" completely oblivious to Quinn's increasing disappointment and jealousy towards her best friend.

Jesse grinned and wrinkled his nose. "Could you call me an order too? I'm kinda hungry and…" he said sweetly.

Rachel rolled her eyes and smirked at her best friend. "And you had the nerve to make fun of my hunger pangs earlier…" She almost laughed at Jesse's pleading face and shook her head, "All right, fine! Go, I'll get your food."

"Righteous!" Jesse exclaimed and kissed Rachel on the cheek, causing Quinn's frown to deepen and her heart to continue to sink.

_Wonderful,_ Quinn though grimly. _God you're such a fool Fabray, trust you to hope that Rachel will still be single. She's too good to stay single._

Rachel rolled her eyes again at Jesse and shoved him away. "I'll be with you guys in a few more minutes." Jesse smiled and nodded before jogging back down the field to the parking lot.

"And don't leave without me!" Rachel shouted after him. After placing Jesse's order, she turned her attention back to Quinn, noticing that a frown had formed on the blonde's face. "You okay?"

Quinn shook her head again, "Uh, yes, I was just thinking about the game and how disappointing it really is to have your team not win first place." She hurriedly tried to cover her obvious disappointment, one which had absolutely nothing to do with the game.

Rachel looked at her curiously and nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, it does suck when the team you root for doesn't win."

Quinn heaved a silent sigh in relief and cleared her throat, "Not to sound obtrusive a-and it really is none of my business but…" _Should I ask her? Do I even have the right to ask her? What if she thinks I'm some sort of stalker?_

"Yes?"

"Um, I take it that was your boyfriend?" Quinn felt her voice croak out. She ducked her head again and blushed hotly.

"What?" Rachel's voice jerked Quinn's head back up, the face of the brunette screwed up in horror and bemusement.

"No!" she asserted firmly, "Oh Jesus, no," her voice sounded as though she was talking in slow motion or something. "No, no, no, no," she added, just for effect. "Jesse and I are SO not…" she could hardly bear to finish as she started laughing. Quite involuntarily, she shuddered at the mere suggestion.

"Oh God no," Rachel said breathlessly, shaking her head violently from side to side. Pulling a face, she eyed the surprised expression on the blonde's face and shuddered again. "Jesse is..." she felt her mouth take a downward turn, "…well he's my best friend. A good childhood best friend."

Quinn felt her heart release in relief and silently made a happy dance as Rachel said those words. _She's single! Oh, thank you God…she's single!_

Meanwhile, Rachel was too preoccupied with her own inner babble. _She thinks Jesse and I are dating?_ Pressing her lips together she shook her head again wonderingly. _Jesse and me? Bleh, _it took all of her will power to keep from sticking her tongue out and make gagging noises. It wouldn't be the first time though that people mistook them for a couple, Rachel frowned. She and Jesse had grown up together and had known each other since they were in diapers; they were practically brother and sister. They always hung out together and had always been comfortable enough around each other to get quite chummy, leading people to believe there was more to their friendship. And sure, there was that one brief time when she had this crush on him, but looking back now, the thought of them being together that way was just, well... so not happening in this lifetime or the next.

Quinn looked over at Rachel and saw that she was in deep thought. She smiled at the way the other girl's brows furrowed and her nose wrinkled. Quinn continued to gaze at her, her eyes skimming over her creamy, perfect skin. She had high cheekbones, and full, pouty, utterly kissable pink lips. Quinn swallowed a gulp and had to mentally restrain herself from reaching over and tracing the outline of Rachel's lips. She wondered if they'd be as soft as she imagined and if...

"Anyway," Rachel waved a hand dismissively in front of her not noticing Quinn's open stare. She looked over at the vendor to see if her food was done. Not yet, she thought impatiently. "Enough about my nonexistent love life. How about you? I mean, you go here, at St. Andrews right?" After a moment, she looked back at Quinn expectantly, wondering why she hadn't answered. Quinn was staring at her and the look in her eyes started to unnerve her.

"Uhm, Quinn...Quinn?"

Quinn was vaguely aware of Rachel's voice. _They're probably as soft as velvet and as sweet as strawberries…no, peaches. Yes, peaches are far more sweeter than strawberries..._

"Quinn?" Rachel was getting more flustered by the minute. This was ridiculous. She'd been used to people staring at her, but that didn't mean she had to like it. At first she had felt like smacking them up the head and yelling at them for their rudeness, but once she got used to it, she just dismissed it and ignored it as best as she could. Right now though, with Quinn's continuing open stare, she was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

Quinn was broken out of her Rachel-centric thoughts by the brunette's tone. _Did she notice me looking? I'm in so much trouble. Oh please tell me she didn't notice. Please? Nonononoono. This is so embarrassing!_

"Uh – uh—yes? Sorry. I spaced out a little. It's the hunger." Her mouth chugged out her thoughts in slow motion.

"I asked if you're a student here at St. Andrews," Rachel repeated. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Quinn replied. "I'm fine." Seeing the look of uncertainty in the other girl's eye, she felt it necessary to continue. "Really, I uh...just got lost in thought...that's all."_What is wrong with me? I barely know this girl, yet I am completely drawn to her._

Rachel narrowed her eyes and looked at Quinn in disbelief. She decided to let it slide as another 'nervous-fan-trance-like-reaction,' as she would put it, and closed her eyes to regain her composure before opening them and smiled softly at Quinn.

Smirking, she decided that humor was the best relief for the momentary tension in the air. "So, _are_ you a student here at St. Andrews or are you just here for all the hot guys?" _Or girls,_ she mentally added. _Please say girls._

Quinn quietly let out another sigh, glad to see the girl hadn't noticed the effect she'd had on her. "Umm, yes, I am. I'm an Arts History major, though going for the... guys is a rather good excuse to come here and watch the game."

_Although I'd really much rather prefer picking up girls instead, perhaps a girl such as yourself, _Quinn added in her thoughts but refrained from saying it out loud. She wasn't exactly sure whether the brunette was interested in girls as well so she decided it would be better not to bring it up rather than risk scaring her away.

Rachel laughed at Quinn's answer and cocked her head, becoming genuinely interested. "Arts History student, huh? I take it you love everything artistic and ancient?"

"Well, yes, presumably, I do." She chuckled lightly. "I also love traveling. I actually spent my gap year before college traveling." She paused and bit her lip, momentarily wondering why she felt so at ease sharing her personal experiences with this girl. Oh, what the hell! She'll probably end up reading about it somewhere anyway, Quinn concluded.

"I went to Nicaragua and worked in a small community with a group called Raleigh International; we built a community center, repaired bridges, and taught kids English." She smiled at the memory and the wonderful time she had there and how satisfactory it felt being able to contribute to other people's communities. She also recalled the tranquility and the relaxed atmosphere around the community, a far cry from her usual hectic and chaotic life back in the city. Not to mention the pressure of being the next in line to the British throne and the press' relentless peering into her personal life. That's why she loved it so much in St. Andrews. After the initial curiosity and excitement, the locals left her alone and she was able to lead a normal life as a college student. "Then I went to Africa on sort of like a safari thing. It was the best time in my life. I've actually gone again for the past two summers. The whole traveling experience was quite fun and I would do it again in a heart beat."

Rachel smiled, supremely impressed. "A humanitarian _and_ a nature lover. I'm surprised. Not that many people are that involved anymore in elevating the situation of people and the environment that aren't of their concern. At least, not that many that I know of."

Quinn smiled back and dropped her head, blushing. "Yes, well, it was a welcomed relief to the mad routine of the city and the relentless pressures of overly concerned family members," she said with downcast eyes.

Rachel smiled and giggled. "Yeah, life in the city, and around the parental units, can be redundantly distressing." She waited for Quinn to look up and asked, "So, by your accounts, you're a...sophomore?"

"Yeah," Quinn looked up with a smile. "But enough about me. How about you? Where do you go?"

"Erm, I'm actually currently on a sabbatical," Rachel cleared her throat and bit her lip nervously.

"Really?"

"Uh huh. But I was previously enrolled at Columbia," Rachel said a bit reluctantly, not sure if she should divulge such information to a girl she barely knows. _It'll be on the internet if she decides to look it up anyway, along with __**everything**__ else concerning my personal life._

"Ahhh. An Ivy Leaguer?" Quinn teased, enjoying the answering blush and laugh of the other girl.

"I suppose you could say that." Rachel grinned.

"So, what were you studying, if you don't mind me asking?" Quinn asked. She eagerly listened to the other girl, wanting to know every little detail about the engaging beauty.

"Psychology with a minor in Philosophy," Rachel answered somewhat hesitantly, hoping she didn't come off as being too nerdy. Not that she probably already didn't. _Dork, meet Dorkier — I'm sure you've met_. Rachel mentally made an eyeroll at herself.

"Psychology _and_ Philosophy?" Quinn asked in pleasant surprise.

"It was either that or Economics." Rachel shrugged. "And as much fun as studying and analyzing the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and service is, I thought going for a major in psychology and a minor in philosophy would be a more interesting subject to venture."

"Ah, yes. Numbers can be very, very tricky indeed," Quinn nodded in agreement. She playfully raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "You're not profiling me or anything right now, are you?" she said jokingly, grinning when she saw Rachel blush as she shook her head.

"Shush," Rachel playfully swatted the blonde on the arm, a light tinge of pink continuing to color her cheeks.

Despite her blushing, Quinn fondly took note of the look that lit up Rachel's eyes when she talked of her major. Her eyes were so... different. They were a light, whiskey brown shade that just seemed to sparkle when she talked about something she liked. Quinn ran her hand through her hair and chuckled. "Well, my apologies then. I just know quite a number of psych majors and they usually formulate an opinion or evaluation of sorts about me within the first fifteen minutes we spend talking."

"Ah, one of our favorite and extremely stereotyped pastimes actually," Rachel replied smartly and they both laughed. After all the stress Quinn's had over the past few months, it was a welcomed relief to be able to just laugh and enjoy a casual conversation with someone she liked.

They turned when the vendor called their attention with their orders in hand. Quinn cut Rachel off as she handed over her money to pay for her food.

"No, let me," Quinn said sweetly.

Rachel shook her head and smiled. "No, I can't let you do that. I –"

"No, really, it'd be my pleasure," Quinn said cutting her off again. "It's not everyday one gets to meet a beautiful lady such as yourself and have the pleasure of sharing a wonderful conversation with her."

Rachel blushed at Quinn's compliment and said, "Thanks," not quite looking her in the eye.

As soon as Quinn paid for both their orders, Rachel hungrily took a bite off her sandwich and mumbled with a mouthful, "You really didn't have to do that."

Quinn chuckled and pointed to the corner of Rachel's mouth. "I already told you, it's fine. And uh, you've got a little something on your mouth."

Rachel's eyes grew wide as she swallowed. "Where?"

"Uh, right there," Quinn smiled and pointed to her left cheek. "Here let me," she took a napkin from the stand and wiped the left corner of Rachel's mouth, "All right, all gone now."

Rachel blushed furiously as Quinn reached over to wipe her mouth gently. She sighed when the other girl's fingers lightly brushed her face when she checked to make sure that there weren't any condiments left on her. _See, this is why I never have crushes. They make you blush and babble and make your knees grow weak as jello._

"I guess I was really hungry," Rachel said sheepishly.

Quinn smiled and just as she was about to say something a loud female voice echoed from the parking lot towards them.

"Rachel! Hurry Up! We need to go now!"

Rachel frowned and shook her head in annoyance when she turned to see Mercedes yelling across the field. "I'm coming!" She shouted back. _Great timing, Mercedes!_

Quinn frowned when Rachel turned to her and apologized, "That's my friend and I guess I really have to go."

Quinn tried to hide the disappointment in her voice and smiled. "No, it's fine. I hope on seeing you again?"

Rachel smiled and bit her lip. "I hope so, too."

"Rachel!" she cringed as Mercedes' voice bellowed from the parking lot.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Quinn," Rachel said, reaching out her free hand.

Quinn took her hand in hers and reveled in the familiar softness. "The feeling's mutual, Rachel."

Rachel flashed her another smile before turning to jog down the field. "Oh, and thank you for the food!" She called over her shoulder.

"You're welcome!" Quinn replied smiling.

_God, I hope I get to see you again soon,_ Quinn thought as she watched Rachel reach her friends. She had only known the other girl for all but 24 hours, not a day even, and already she felt herself falling for her.

Is that even possible?

She never really believed in love at first sight. Maybe attraction at first sight but never love. She rewound to their brief but pleasant conversation. Rachel was vivacious, very beautiful and unquestionably articulate. Throughout their entire conversation Quinn's heart was racing, her chest seemed all constricted and she couldn't breathe right. All she saw was that lovely face framed by wavy, dark chestnut brown hair and inquisitive chocolate brown eyes looking out, and she was thankful she hadn't lost her nerve or her voice.

_I can't believe I didn't botch up and completely embarrass myself,_ Quinn thought amazed at her ability to keep a conversation, much less share jokes, with the girl who took her breath away.

_Oh, God please don't let me be... what? Smitten, a crush, in love?_

Her mind immediately thought back to Heather. Of all the girls she had dated in college, she was the worst.

Heather and Quinn had started off fine, as couples usually do. But after a month, the press would manage to publish pictures of the two of them snogging on her bed. Quinn later learned that she had tipped the press off and even had a surveillance camera in the room to record everything. Heather started stalking her after the break-up and her friends sometimes made nasty comments to her. After Heather, Quinn was more cautious with the girls she dated.

"I don't want to make the same mistake again," she said to herself as she walked back to her friends.

But then Rachel was the most angelic thing she'd ever seen and her smile seemed to penetrate through her fear filling her with joy just to see it. In fact, she felt peace. Like a soft blanket in winter it descended over her, warming her to her very soul.

Maybe she was different. Maybe she wouldn't sell her out to the press just for her fifteen minutes of fame. She certainly didn't look like one who craved for that type of attention anyway. Maybe she'd actually love Quinn for what she was and not for who she was.

_Whoa, there, Quinn! Love you? You don't even know if she likes you, let alone love you!_

But didn't it seem like Rachel had enjoyed talking to her? And she was sure she had felt an undercurrent of electricity and attraction when they had touched, no matter how brief it was.

_I'm afraid I might be in love with her and I don't even know anything about her,_ Quinn thought glumly. Just that she's so gorgeous and innocent and perky and engaging.

Anyone like that must have a boyfriend or a girlfriend (Quinn prayed and hoped Rachel was more inclined towards the latter), even though she'd made it clear to her that the guy who walked up to them was definitely not one.

_Yes, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have one.  
_  
Quinn frowned. How could she not? She probably has a long slew of admirers asking her out all the time, the pick of the crop hers for the choosing. She kicked a small rock and rubbed her temples.

_Brilliant,_ Quinn thought. _Only a few weeks after a disastrous relationship that ended up in hell and you've got yourself another unrequited love. Bravo, Quinn, bravo!_


	4. Sense and Sensibility

**A.N.: **Wow, I certainly wasn't expecting the overwhelming response to my little story. Thank you everyone for giving it a chance! I know that there are concerns over the fact that this was originally written for other characters, but after a great deal of thought I just figured the whole dynamics really fitted Quinn and Rachel to a T. I've definitely been doing a lot of tweaking and re-writing to better suit Faberry and so far the muse has just been on hyper mode. Hopefully everyone will continue to enjoy reading. Anyway, here goes…

* * *

**Chapter 3: Sense and Sensibility**

"What's up with you, Rach? You've hardly said a word since we got home?" Kurt asked as they entered their rented home. The boy placed his bag on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch, looking up at Rachel who also joined him. Tina, Mercedes and Sam had all retreated to their rooms; Tina saying she needed a long, relaxing bath, Mercedes saying she needed her beauty rest, and Sam had to change out of his shirt which had ketchup and mayo smothered all over it from the hamburger he was eating in the car.

"Huh?" Rachel's thoughts wrestled themselves away from a blonde figure who was currently occupying her mind.

"You," Kurt pointed at the brunette, "you're all dreamy and quiet. What's up?"

A flush covered the brunette's cheeks as she looked down at her lap, where her fingers were twisting nervously against one another. Pressing palm against palm, she tried not to think about Quinn, like she'd been doing for the last thirty minutes or so. _This is ridiculous_, she told herself, _going all gooey eyes over someone you don't even know. But she is hot_, she reminded herself with a flush. _Very hot. And cute. And her smile. And she's got eyes that you could..._

"Rach? Earth to Rachel?" Kurt leant forward and snapped his fingers in front of Rachel. Jerking back in the couch, Rachel blinked hastily, drawing in a breath and focusing on her friends. Jesse had walked in and settled down on the seat across them and his bemused silly grin flooded her face with red again, whilst Kurt shook his head and let out a slow breath.

"I'm uh..." she started nervously, wondering if it was really possible for her voice to go that high, "just wondering if..." Stopping, she realized that her sentence was faltering in the middle of nowhere, and she wasn't even sure if she could conjure up an ending for it in the next half hour, never mind the next ten seconds.

"If...?" Jesse raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"Uh..." Rachel tried again. Nothing. Clamping her lips tight shut she shook her head.

Kurt smiled and folded his arms across his chest. "I see your oral skills are really improving Rach. Your next acting project should be a breeze for you."

"I was thinking about something," Rachel answered defensively.

"Something naughty?" Jesse leaned forward over the table. "Cuz you know, if it is, you can tell me. I'm your best friend."

"Jesse," Kurt slapped him on the arm and frowned as he recoiled in obvious pain. "We both know that if Rachel's going to tell anyone anything remotely naughty, it's going to be me," he said decisively. Leaning over to Rachel, she whispered, "So is it naughty? Ooh! Is there a Hollywood scandal afoot in La La Land that you only know of?"

Rachel couldn't help laughing at her two friends, shaking her head in embarrassment. "No!" she exclaimed, pushing at Kurt's outstretched arm on her lap. "There isn't anything scandalous happening in Hollywood that I know of and I'm certainly not thinking of something naughty," she added, her thoughts flickering back to the blonde she had met earlier.

_All I know are her name, she goes to St. Andrews and that she studies art history,_ she thought sadly, remembering the way the sunlight caught the gold flecks in the honeyed, silken hair that Rachel longed to see again.

"Right, Saint Rachel," Jesse tittered, pushing at Kurt's arm in an attempt to pass on the joke. Throwing him a cursory glance, Kurt frowned then returned his attentions to their friend.

"Come on Rachel, all work and no play..." he trailed off, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Exactly," Jesse qualified. "And you've been interested in no man _or_ woman in Hollywood or in the normal world inhabited by us mere mortals." A teasing grin plastered across his face. "I mean, all those Hollywood actors knocking at your door and still _zilch_."

"Oh please," Rachel sighed, pushing out her bottom lip, her thoughts going back to Quinn. _Does she even know who I am? What if she's just like everybody else and is just interested in being seen with a celebrity?  
_  
Kurt turned to Jesse with a playful smile on his face. "She was interested in you," he pointed out. "But then, I guess that does qualify for the 'no man' thing after all."

Jesse assumed a look of pained offence and put his hand over his chest. "Once again, Hummel," he rolled his eyes back as though terribly hurt, "you manage to destroy my manliness in a single phrase."

"That was a sentence," Rachel intoned, almost without thinking. Her thoughts went back to Quinn again, her brows drew together painfully. She couldn't quite fixate on what it was that attracted her to the blushing yet engaging Brit. But whatever it was, she wanted to explore it. Fully. Wholly.

"Well this non-man has to go and feed his non-manly exhaustion with a good few hours of sleep otherwise we really will be having a grumpy and none-too-happy non-man in the house," Jesse said, rising from the sofa, and offering a smiling apology to the two girls seated.

Kurt got to his feet as well. "Yeah, I gotta go call my dad if he wants anything while we're here." Straightening his shirt, he looked down at Rachel. "You coming with? I'm sure he'll be glad to hear from you," he asked.

"No," Rachel felt a faint glimmer of hope as her two friends gathered their things from the room. "I'm going to..." her gaze drifted down to a pile of books, resting at the feet of the coffee table. "Read!" she finished triumphantly. "I'm going to read," she said again, more assuredly.

"Catch you later then?" Kurt asked, receiving a nod from the brunette. Flashing Rachel a brilliant smile, he pushed Jesse playfully to hurry his ass up and the two disappeared up the stairs, leaving a distinctly not unhappy Rachel alone in the living room. For a moment, Rachel just sat there, confused about the mixed up emotions she had about her encounter with Quinn, before sighing heavily and leaning down to pick up a copy of the latest Harry Potter book.

Oh well, nothing like wizardry and witchcraft to ease your mind off a girl.

* * *

Quinn stumbled wearily through the door of her rather spacious farmhouse that she shared with Brittany and Puck a few kilometers away from St. Andrews. They fell in love with the place after a rather talkative realtor showed them around two days after they had returned from their semester break last year. They had originally moved into a luxurious flat near St Andrews' golf course, but proved too accessible to tourists who camped outside to catch a glimpse of the Princess. So they decided to look elsewhere, and their search had led them to the outskirts of the Fife town where they were given more privacy.

The ceilings were open beamed and the sunlight that filtered in through the windows gave the whole place a rather open and airy quality. There was enough space in the large downstairs lounge for any get-togethers or parties they would decide to throw and the heated hardwood floor finish in all 4 of the upstairs bedrooms were like a dream come true for those long, winter nights. What she adored, as did Brittany, however, was the spacious, trimmed garden in the backyard that opened out to the serene lush farmland if they so chose. The realtor was a little shocked when Quinn told her that they would take it right then and there.

Quinn had decided to head on home without her flat mates, and she had to bribe her way out of going to the party celebration the Rat Packs were throwing after the game. Oh well, paying for movie night was well worth the alone time she desperately needed. She kicked off her shoes on her way to the living room and threw her keys on the coffee table and plopped herself down in comfortably on the couch by a pair of sliding French doors. Quinn wanted to use the time to think and replay every second she had with Rachel.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the brunette's face as visible in her mind as if she was standing right in front of her. She remembered her voice and how she had smiled at her. She remembered the way she played with her hair and laughed as they made idle conversation while waiting for their food. And she remembered how the other girl looked when she saw her again that morning, wearing a baseball cap almost hiding her gorgeous face. Most of all, she remembered how people looked at her and how captivated they seemed to be at seeing such an ethereal beauty, turning their heads whenever she walked past a group of chattering students. She looked like one of those models that graced the cover of _Vogue_ or _Elle_, and she was sure she'd seen her somewhere before.

_But where? Where have I seen her? She's so familiar yet I can't quite pin-point it._

After a moment's silence, Quinn chose to head straight for the bathroom to indulge in one of her favorite guilty pleasures – taking a long, luxurious bubble bath. She made a quick pit stop at the kitchen to pick up the half-empty bottle of wine she and her flat mates had tucked away last night after supper.

Once upstairs in the bathroom, she poured herself a glass of the Pinot Noir, placed the bottle on the marble countertop, and set about filling the clawfoot tub with hot water and bubble bath. She turned on the water to full stream and went into the bedroom in search of her iPod. "Hmmm... I think this one will suit nicely," she murmured as she scrolled through the various albums in her music library.

She gathered up a few candles along with her iPod and made her way back to the nearly full tub. After lighting the candles and slipping the mp3 player into the dock on the counter, Quinn re-filled her glass with more wine and slid into the mix of heat and bubbles with a contented sigh. The gentle acoustic guitar followed by the singer's voice drifted in, the words sung slowly, softly soon filling the bathroom with relaxing mood music.

_Found myself today singin' out loud your name_  
_You said I'm crazy, if I am I'm crazy for you_

Quinn sighed as her thoughts went back to Rachel. She closed her eyes, leaning back into the warm tub as she let the lyrics of the song wash over her._  
_

_Sometimes sittin' in the dark wishin' you were here turns me crazy_  
_But its you who makes me lose my head_

_Well, no truer words were ever spoken_, Quinn reflected. She took another sip from her glass and closed her eyes to savor her surroundings as her brain tried hard to make sense of all the mixed emotions she was currently feeling overwhelmed with. On one hand, she would love to do nothing more than get lost in all thoughts of Rachel, but then there was that nagging feeling at the back of her head telling her otherwise and how much of a waste her daydreaming would just end up being.

_And every time I'm meant to be acting sensible_  
_You drift into my head and turn me into a crumblin' fool_

Quinn bit her lip thoughtfully at that last verse. It was true, all she needed was a small glimpse of Rachel - of her hair, of her smile, and she was gone.

Rachel was absolutely heavenly, so beautiful and beyond the cover girls and famous runway models. Quinn decided she had to see her again, and as soon as possible. But how? She didn't know where she was staying, nor did she give Quinn her number.

_You should have given yours!_ Quinn scolded herself slightly. All she knew was that the brunette was here on vacation, that she had gone to the tournament to see a friend, and that she studied several thousand miles away across the Atlantic Ocean. She didn't even know her last name!

_I keep on tryin' fightin' these feelings away_  
_But the more I do the crazier I turn into_  
_Pacin' floors and openin' doors_  
_Hopin' you'll walk through and save me_  
_Because I'm too crazy for you, crazy for you_

_Wonderful_, Quinn thought glumly. Even if she did make a search on her, how many thousands of Rachels could there possibly be and even if she did manage to seek her out, she just couldn't show up at her doorstep or follow her around like a stalker. Princess or no princess, she was pretty sure she'd have Scotland Yard after her.

_Then what?_ Quinn kneaded her temple and groaned. So far, she'd just met the girl of her dreams and she had no clue as to where to find her or even contact her. Rubbing the heel of her hand against her forehead, she closed her eyes and leant backward, dipping her head onto the lavender-scented aromatherapy bubbles. "I have every resource at the tip of my fingertips yet I don't know where to begin," she mumbled to the room.


	5. Smile Like You Mean It

**Chapter 4: Smile Like You Mean It**

The sun rose and gave off beautiful colors of blue, pink, and light purple. Outside was nice, the weather was perfect. Houses and neighborhoods were still quiet, all you could hear, were the whispers of the leaves blowing across the roads and yards, and some cars pulling out of driveways for work.

Sunshine peeked through the curtain in Rachel's room and streamed across the brunette's face. She wrinkled her nose and rolled away from the intrusive light, throwing the covers over her face and decided to sleep in. _It's not like I have anything better to do, plus, I __**am**__ on vacation._ She sighed contently and nuzzled her pillow.

That was until Mercedes came barging into her room and jumped into her bed.

"Wake up, wake up!" Mercedes exclaimed pulling the covers off a groggy and very annoyed Rachel.

"Mercedes! I told you...never wake me up so damn early," Rachel growled at the other girl and rolled over pulling a pillow over her head.

"Well, good morning to you too sleepyhead," Mercedes smirked and pulled the pillow off Rachel's face, making her squint when the sun's rays hit her eyes.

"God, what did I ever do to deserve this?" Rachel groaned and clasped both hands over her eyes.

Mercedes walked around the bed and clapped her hands. "Come on, chop-chop! We don't want to be late."

Rachel moaned and opened her eyes sleepily. "Where are we going?"

Mercedes placed her hands on her hips and frowned at a still prone Rachel. "Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Rachel asked groggily, sitting up on her elbows.

"The fundraiser at the country club!" Mercedes said impatiently. "You know, the one you were invited to and you invited us to come along with?"

"Arrgghh…" Rachel groaned, collapsing back on the bed. "I completely forgot. That's today?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes in exasperation and tugged at Rachel's pajamas. "Yes, now get up, or Schuester's gonna bite your head off for being late."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the mention of her manager and finally got up. She stretched languidly and yawned. "Please, he can't _afford_ to bite my head off. I'm his most prized possession, remember?"

"Fine, but he's not going to spare _us_ any mercy if you don't drag your lazy ass out of that bed."

Mercedes sauntered out of the room and Rachel collapsed on the bed again.

"And don't you dare doze off again!" Mercedes' voice bellowed from the hallway. "Your stylist and makeup artist are gonna be here soon!"

Rachel groaned one final time, got up and headed downstairs for breakfast, not really caring if her hair was sticking out everywhere. After all it was just her friends; it's not like they'd never seen her with unkempt hair before.

She heard the TV on and found Jesse sitting on the couch at the living room with a huge bowl of cereals and watching a rerun of some game on ESPN.

"Hey beautiful. Glad to see you're finally up," Jesse greeted her and smiled. Rachel collapsed on the couch, right beside him and yawned.

"Oh, shut up," Rachel scowled and Jesse laughed. "Where's everybody else?" she asked with a yawn.

"Tina is finishing getting ready and Sam's still in the bathroom last time I checked. And Kurt is in the kitchen." He could see that Rachel was still sleepy and as soon as she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder she was falling asleep again.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Kurt asked as he entered the living room carrying a plate of heaping pancakes in one hand and a tall glass of juice in the other. He placed the plate and glass on the coffee table and sat down next to Rachel and pushed a throw pillow behind her back.

"Pancakes." Kurt reached over and grabbed the plate. "Blueberry." He waggled her eyebrows as he took a scoop and held it out.

Rachel's ears perked at the mention of pancakes and was instantly feeling more awake. Taking the fork, she smiled goofily as she took the bite slowly, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored the taste of her favorite breakfast food. "Umm," she moaned as the taste hit her tongue. "Blueberries… you trying to bribe me?" She licked the side of her mouth. She could feel a bit of the sticky syrup sliding down her jaw.

"Whatever works," Kurt chuckled.

Jesse smirked when he noticed some syrup dribble down Rachel's jaw, "You know, normally I'd say syrup was the sexiest thing on earth on a woman. But that," he teased pointing at Rachel's jaw, "is just a complete turn-off."

Rachel scowled at him again and wiped the syrup away and licked her lips. She reached for her juice and took a big sip, scrunching her face when the juice hit her taste buds.

"Oh, God," Rachel grimaced. "What's in this juice? Sulfuric acid and vinegar?"

Kurt rolled his eyes when Rachel started sniffing her drink. "No, it's pineapple juice."

"Ugh," Rachel stuck her tongue out and made a face. "Don't tell me, purely concentrated and unsweetened?"

"Damn it, Kurt, why didn't you just get her coffee?" Jesse teased. "You know how cranky she gets without her morning dose of caffeine."

"Hey!" Rachel feigned insult.

"Okay, why isn't everyone getting ready?!" Mercedes exclaimed as she entered the room with Tina following behind her. "We have to leave in an hour!" She sauntered over to Rachel. "And you, Miss Diva, didn't I tell you your stylists are going to be here in a few minutes? Get off your bum and shower! We're already running late as is!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and took another bite from her pancakes. "Oh, don't get your panties up in a bunch, Cedes. We'll just use the old fashionably late excuse. The press loves that."

Kurt stood up from his seat. "Normally I'd agree with you and throw sarcasm at Mother Superior here, but she's right."

"Yeah," Jesse added as he also got up. "Have you forgotten who'll be at the game?"

"You're supposed to be on my side, not hers!" Rachel accused teasingly. She furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. "Who's coming again?"

Mercedes sighed and leaned on the couch. "His highness, Prince Russell."

"Yeah, and his ever gorgeous son and daughter Prince Francis and Princess Quinn," Tina added dreamily.

Jesse looked at Mercedes and Tina as they let out a sigh. "What is it with girls and royalty?" he asked, a little annoyed. Although, he had to admit, that Quinn chick was quite the looker indeed. Not so much her brother, though.

"Wait, the royal family's going to be there?" Rachel exclaimed and immediately got up. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just did," Mercedes said.

Rachel shot her a look and quickly ran upstairs.

"Oh, don't tell me, she's just as excited to see their royal _sighnesses_," Jesse remarked sarcastically to no one in particular.

"I'm not the least bit interested in them." Rachel's voice boomed as she quickly ran back down the stairs again. "I just want to make a good impression on the royal family. Besides," she said as she took another bite of her pancakes. "Dad and daddy will kill me if they find out I was the least bit discourteous to his royal highness." She ran back upstairs again. "And by his royal highness, I mean Prince Russell."

* * *

Quinn stood in front of the mirror as she fixed her shirt and hair. She mumbled under her breath when her hair wouldn't obey her as she tried for the tenth time that morning to style it just the way she wanted.

"Give it up Q. Your hair looks smashing already," her younger brother Francis teased as he sauntered inside the room. "And besides, all the girls are just going to be swooning at your feet nonetheless, bad hair day or not."

Quinn thought of a comeback for her brother's comment but decided to ignore him instead. She sighed in exasperation and finally gave up in trying to tame her hair. She walked over to Francis and slumped in the couch next to him.

"Why so glum, big sister? Aren't you keen on meeting all the gorgeous birds at the game? Or are you just worried that my polo skills will outshine yours?" Francis asked playfully.

When Quinn didn't answer, Francis worried a bit over his sister's sullen features. "Quinn, you okay?"

"Huh?" Quinn shook out of her reverie. She had been thinking about Rachel again. Actually, she'd been thinking about the brunette all night and the first thought that entered her mind this morning when she woke up was of the other girl and her dilemma on seeing her again. She even dreamed about her. "Sorry, I just, I'm just a bit anxious about the game," she fibbed.

"Uh-huh" Francis regarded her suspiciously. "Come on Quinn, what's really bothering you?" He'd seen his sister's mood swings and has had gotten rather good at reading her, and from what he saw, Quinn definitely had something on her mind.

"Nothing, I just..." Quinn sighed. "Never mind. It's really nothing."

Francis knew something was up, but wasn't up to interrogating his sister. They were already running late as is. Maybe later.

"Alright," Francis said as he got up from his seat. "We'd better get going then. Wouldn't want to be yelled at again for not being punctual."

Quinn nodded and got up as well. She gathered her things and walked out to the car with Francis at her side. Francis looked over at her sister and saw her wearing a frown.

"Oh, cheer up, Q. I heard there'll be tons of celebrities at the game," Francis attempted at levity, nudging Quinn by the elbow. Quinn just looked at him and smiled a little as they climbed inside their car. Once inside, her thoughts drifted off to a certain brown-eyed brunette as their car passed the rough landscape of the Scottish countryside.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" Tina's voice rang into her ears.

"Huh?" Rachel asked. She was a bit too preoccupied in trying to calm herself down to notice the look of concern her friends had been throwing her, especially Tina.

A black limousine had come and picked them up for their ride that morning. They were nearing the country club and Rachel hadn't said a word during the entire ride.

"I asked if you're okay," Tina said as she scooted closer to her best friend. "You've been really quiet."

"Oh, uh, yeah, I just…" Rachel sighed and bit her lower lip. "I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous," she laughed nervously. "You know these things…you can never get used to them. I mean, a lot of very important people will be there. I heard Tony Blair's gonna be there. And David Beckham, and…"

"Prince Francis?" Tina teased. "Or would the lovely Princess be more to your liking?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Pfff, Oh please."

"What, you're not the least bit excited to see them?" Tina stared at her in disbelief. "I mean, the possibilities of you meeting them are very high given your superstar status and..."

"And I could care less." Rachel rolled her eyes again and pretended to look hurt. "Honestly Tina, I thought you were supposed to be my best friend? And you of all people know very well that I am sooo not into their type."

Tina giggled and sat back. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're not even curious?"

"I don't know I just..."

Rachel had always looked up to their mother, Judy, but had never really paid any attention to her son or daughter. All she knew was that they were around her age, Quinn being a good two years her senior and Francis around the same age as her. That and their reputation of being Britain's reputed resident playgirl and playboy.

"I just don't see the big deal, that's all." Rachel explained. "I mean, it's like, 'Hello, my name is Francis...or Quinn," she paused as the name brought a smile to her face, but quickly erased it as she remembered it was a different blonde that made her smile in the first place. "I'm gorgeous, all the girls are at my feet, I own several castles and am the future ruler of England. Would you like to join me for a spot of tea and some crumpets at Buckingham?'"

Tina laughed at her best friend's ranting and Rachel shoved her a little. "Unlike some people I know, I'm more concerned with other more important things than dwell on such trivial matters as chasing after pin-up boys and poster girls."

"You should talk!" Tina shot back accusingly. "If I remember correctly, wasn't it you who wanted to go up to Hollywood Hills to spy on Ben Affleck?"

"For your information, I only wanted to see what his home looked like," Rachel defended herself. "I read in Architecture's Digest how beautiful his landscaping was and how his house had a quasi art deco design. I wanted to see if his designer was actually any good!"

"Riiight," Tina drawled and they shared another fit of giggles.

* * *

Cameras everywhere. Fans and on lookers filled the blocked streets. Limos waited in line-ups as they each dropped off guests and celebrities. News reporters, lights, and a lot of socialites and celebrities that greeted the fans and smiled for the camera surrounded the red carpet.

Rachel looked out the tainted window of the limousine and swallowed when she saw people everywhere, and flashes from cameras filling up the red carpet. "Another day, another dollar," she whispered to herself.

"Oh my God, U2 is going to be there!" Mercedes gasped as she read her program.

"Another day in the life of the rich and famous," Sam said in awe at the crowd.

They felt the limo come to a stop and saw the door open. "Ready to do this, guys?" Rachel asked her friends.

"Bring it on," Kurt and Jesse grinned and watched as Rachel quickly fixed her hair before getting out first.

"Rachel!"

"Rachel Berry!"

"Rachel!"

Many people, including the fans, were calling the brunette. She smiled and waved as she took Tina, then Mercedes by the hand, and helped them out of the vehicle. Kurt, Sam and Jesse climbed out of the car and followed Rachel as they walked down the red carpet.

"Damn, you'd think that this were the Oscars or something," Mercedes whispered as she, Rachel and Tina linked arms. "This is a charity polo event, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said as she loosened her hold and waved at the press and the fans.

"Rachel, over here!" A female voice said through the loud crowd.

Rachel turned around and saw a blonde female approach her. "Emma!"

Emma Pillsbury was her assistant and a good family friend, but was also a close confidante to Rachel. Emma had been by Rachel's side ever since her debut in Hollywood several years ago. She traveled with Rachel and accompanied her during her shoots. Emma was nearly two decades older than Rachel, and was like a second mother to her.

Emma walked up to them and after briefly hugging each one of them, ushered them further down the red carpet. "Where have you been? Will's going berserk looking all over for you," she whispered into Rachel's ear.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Since when was he ever calm? And besides, we're only fifteen minutes late."

"Rachel! Over here!"

Rachel rolled her eyes again and excused herself from her friends. "I should start answering the people who are calling me."

Rachel talked to interviewers and posed for the cameras, she signed autographs, and on more than one occasion, introduced her gang, and joked about wanting to see the royal siblings.

"Yeah, I was more than willing to go when Will, my manager, told me about this charity event and who were playing. I mean, it is every girl's dream to meet a real prince (or princess), and pray that they'd fall for her, right?" she joked to reporters.

Meanwhile, several feet away, Quinn and Francis were also being interrogated by the press.

"Francis, who're you most hoping to meet?"

"Meeting U2 would be a treat," Francis answered. "But I really don't mind if I don't bump into them. I heard that Rachel Berry is going to be here and I'd be one happy bloke if I get the chance to talk to her."

"What about you, Quinn? Anyone particular in mind?"

"No, not really," Quinn smiled. "As long as this fundraiser gets tons of endorsers, I'd be happy all the same."

"Ah, my sister," Francis rolled his eyes and teased Quinn. "Ever the straight-laced one, eh?"

Quinn just rolled her eyes and punched Francis on the shoulder lightly. Both siblings and the interviewers laughed as they continued their banter.

"Oh my God," Kurt said wide-eyed. "Isn't that Princess Quinn and Prince Francis?"

"Where?" Mercedes and Tina asked excitedly.

Kurt pointed to a blonde man and woman, both dressed in matching violet and red polo shirts, talking to the press and other guests. They sighed and squealed when both blondes turned and revealed themselves as the two royal siblings.

"Hey, what's going on?" Rachel asked as she walked back towards her friends.

"Oh, the girls were just drooling over the _prince_ and _princess_," Jesse said sarcastically.

"Oh? Where are they?" Rachel was intrigued, if not by the thought of getting a glimpse of two of the world's most eligible bachelor and bachelorette, then to see royalty in the flesh.

Just as she turned to their direction, Quinn and Francis were ushered inside the country club.

"I don't see them. Are you sure you actually saw them?" Rachel said, craning her neck and looking around the crowd.

"You just missed them," Tina said absently. "They were over there a moment ago."

"Yeah," Mercedes and Kurt sighed dreamily.

"Oh, please," both Jesse and Sam grumbled. "What do they have that we don't?"

"Oh, I don't know, millions of pounds in their bank account and a grandmother who's the queen of a country?" Rachel teased.

"That and a plethora of screaming, swooning girls falling all over themselves trying to get at them," Mercedes added.

"Ha, like you three?" Sam exclaimed and yelped when three hands slapped him on the arm.

"Okay, come on you guys," Rachel giggled. "Let's get inside and find our seats. Who knows, maybe we'll actually get to meet some royalty."

* * *

The morning wore on, and the polo game proceeded without a hitch. Quinn and Francis were having the time of their life on the field. For Quinn, playing the sport and being out on the field offered freedom and relaxation, a place where she could be herself and just have a good time.

Rachel had never been to a polo game before, and instead of being bored like she had originally thought, she found herself enjoying it immensely. She watched with interest as players from both teams rode their horses and galloped up and down the field, fielding the ball trying to score goals. She was too wrapped up in the game that she didn't even notice that Quinn, _her_ Quinn, was out on the field and was one of the players.

"See any cute guys you like?" Emma asked. She regarded Quinn as she deftly stole the ball from the opposing team. "Or girl?"

Rachel simply giggled and rolled her eyes. "There are lots of cute guys here, maybe even a cute girl, but no, I'm not that interested."

"It's about time you're finding a love interest," Emma smirked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rachel, I've known you since you were nine years old, I see that glow you are wearing." Emma turned the chair Rachel was sitting in so she was face to face with the brunette. "So spill...who is he, and when do I get to meet him?"

"Fine. First of all _he_ is a _she_. And her name is Quinn." Rachel cut Emma off as she was about to comment, "No, not _that_ Quinn." She briefly wondered how much of a coincidence it was that the one girl she did end up genuinely liking since her last relationship just happened to have a royal doppelganger, even if it was just by name. "_This_ Quinn I met yesterday." Rachel beamed as she thought of the other girl. "But that's all I know. Oh, and she goes to St. Andrews."

"Miss Berry!" A tall, curly-haired man approached the brunette. "I have been looking all over for you. I was worried that you were late...and if you were, I would've called your Oscar-award winning ass, and fired you."

"Chill Will, you couldn't fire me even if you wanted to," Rachel laughed, hugging her manager. "It was a beautiful ride here this morning."

"Chirpy this morning are we? The Rachel I know doesn't like early morning social calls." William handed Rachel a glass of sparkling pink champagne.

"She met someone," Emma interjected.

"Oh? Is he here?" William asked, looking around for Rachel's new love interest.

"No, _he_ isn't here," Rachel glared at Emma. "So, when do I get to meet some famous folks?" Rachel casually changed the subject.

"Oh, that's why I've been looking all over for you!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Guess who wants to meet you?"

"Um, the queen of England?" Rachel joked.

"Close! His Royal Highness, Prince Russell, wants to meet you and…"

"Wait, what?" Rachel asked, confused and sputtered the champagne she had been drinking.

"Prince Russell wants to meet you. He asked earlier if he could and…"

"_He_ asked _you_?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"Well, no, his representative asked me but that's beside the point," William said dismissively. "Anyway, he wants to meet you. Apparently his son's a big fan and…"

"Prince Francis?" Emma piped in.

"The one and only. Get ready to flash those pearly whites Rach, a _royal_ wants to meet you!" William said excitedly as he tugged on Rachel's arm.

"What, now? But the game…?"

"Just finished," Emma said. "Now go! You've been saying all morning how you'd love to meet a member of the royal family, now here's your chance."

"Okay, okay. Just let me tell the others first."

Rachel walked over to her friends who were too busy chatting amongst themselves about the game and the celebrities they'd seen at the event.

"Uh, guys? I have to go for a few minutes...my job as a celebrated thespian calls."

Her friends nodded and Rachel turned to William. "Okay, let's go then. Is my hair okay?"

"Your hair's fabulous!" Emma exclaimed.

William nodded and they proceeded to where Prince Russell and his son and daughter were at.

* * *

Quinn walked over to her car after changing her shirt. She wiped at her face and splashed some water on when one of her bodyguards approached her.

"Ma'am, your father wants to see you," the big burly man said.

Quinn sighed and put away her discarded shirt. "Fine, tell him I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

With Rachel's arm in William's, they were ushered to the canopy Prince Russell was staying at.

"Are you sure my hair's good?" Rachel queried for the third time. "And my make-up? Do I still have any on?"

"For the final time, you look gorgeous," William whispered assuredly. "Now come on. Wouldn't want to keep the Prince of the British Empire waiting now, do we?"

Rachel exhaled and put on her trademark million dollar smile just as they approached Russell's camp. One of his bodyguards saw them and whispered something in Russell's ears. He looked up at them and smiled.

"Ah, Mr. Schuester, a pleasure seeing you again," Russell said as he shook hands with William.

"Your highness, I'd like to introduce to you Rachel Berry, my most prized possession," he introduced the brunette by his side with a beaming smile.

Rachel smiled, curtsied and took Russell's offered hand. "How do you do, your highness?" she said politely.

Russell smiled. "I'm good, thank you. But you really need not call me by that. It makes me sound old and stuffy," he chuckled lightly. "I don't think my son or daughter would appreciate me, how do you youngsters say it? Er, cramping their style?"

Rachel and William laughed with him as they continued talking for a bit, discussing about the fundraiser and the big turn-out for the event.

"Well, anything that will help alleviate the situations of underprivileged children and families is always a good cause to throw a party," Rachel smiled. "I'm glad I came."

Russell smiled and chuckled. "Ah, finally. A youngster who appreciates the sentiments of performing these charity rounds. And speaking of youngsters..." He excused himself momentarily.

"How are you holding out?" William whispered.

"Impeccably superb, I might say," Rachel said with a British accent and they both laughed. "No, honestly, this is great. I didn't think I'd say this, but his highness seems really...cool." William looked at her with an eyebrow raised and Rachel shrugged. "I'm actually enjoying this."

"I'm sorry for the intrusion," Russell returned. "This is my son, Francis." He introduced a tall young man with combed-over blond hair and bright hazel eyes.

Francis smiled shyly and extended his hand. "How do you do?"

"Fine, thank you." Rachel smiled. "I'm Rachel. Rachel Berry."

"Yes, I could see that," Francis smiled impishly, his dimples showing adorably.

"My son's a huge fan of your work. Especially on your last film," Russell inserted.

"Papa," Francis blushed.

"He actually came to the London premiere last year," Russell continued, ignoring his blushing son. "He couldn't stop talking about you. He told us you looked smashing in that red dress."

Rachel bit her lip to stop from giggling. She could see Francis' face and ears growing red and his pale eyebrows stood out. So she did what any warm-blooded American teenager would do when receiving compliment from a British royal and his blushing son. "Thank you," she accepted gracefully, blushing slightly at the compliment.

"Mr. Schuester," Russell started.

"Oh, please, Sir. Call me Will."

"Okay, Will. And you can call me Russell," he smiled. He looked over at Francis and Rachel. "Now that these two are acquainted, shall we go over to my table and discuss some more about the upcoming dress show?"

"Dress show? What dress show?" Rachel asked, peering at William suspiciously.

"The dress show I will tell you about later as soon as his highness and I discuss it more and after you and Francis get to know each other better," William hurriedly said and followed Russell to the table a few feet away, leaving a pouting and glaring Rachel behind with a nervous Francis.

"Managers," Rachel mumbled. She looked over at Francis who was still blushing and shuffling his shoes. "So," she started, wanting to make the tense prince a bit more at ease. "That was a wonderful game. You were quite good."

"Thank you," Francis replied at the compliment. He blushed even more when the brown-eyed starlet flashed him a smile.

"Do you play often?" Rachel asked, noticing Francis' deepening blush but decided to ignore it.

"Yes, I've been playing since I was fourteen," Francis beamed and felt a bit less anxious. "My father taught me and my sister. Polo's definitely one of my favorite sports. Right up there with football."

Rachel smiled, thankful that the blond-haired prince was starting to relax a bit. "I've actually never played polo, or ever seen one being played for that matter. I guess you could say I'm a virgin when it comes to this sport." Rachel blushed at her last comment and tried changing the topic. "You also play football? Uh, that'd be soccer, right?"

Francis smiled and inwardly chuckled at Rachel's comment and blush. _At least I'm not the only one turning as red as a beet anymore,_ he thought and nodded at Rachel's last question.

"Really? I play soccer, too!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly. Finally, a topic she was sure she wouldn't make a fool out of herself in front of a prince. "I used to play for my team back in high school. What position are you?"

"Forward," Francis replied quite proudly. He was the captain of his team back in Eton just like his father was. He knew that people would compare him against his father again, but it was more out of for the love of the game that he accepted the role of captain rather than wanting to prove himself in comparisons to the older Fabray.

"Get out! Me too!" Rachel exclaimed and blushed at her enthusiastic outburst. "I mean, I was also a forward. Imagine that."

* * *

Quinn walked towards the various canopies set up next to the field with a slight trudge to her step. Her guard had told her that her father wanted to introduce her to someone of importance, and she grimaced at the thought of yet another meeting with a boring fellow English aristocrat.

_Just what I need, another hand to shake and name to memorize,_ she thought glumly. _Why does father even continue to make these inductions when all of Great Britain already knows my name and my family history?_

She walked further into the bustling crowd and spotted Francis chatting with some girl.

_Brilliant,_ Quinn smirked. _It's barely been fifteen minutes after the game and my brother's already chatting up some girl. And wasn't he talking to a blonde just a few minutes ago?_ she mused.

She took a moment to study the girl. She had a fire engine red strapless dress and a pair of three-inch heeled Manolos. Her chestnut brown hair was held up neatly and elegantly, exposing her long slender neck. She had her back turned to Quinn as she talked with Francis, making small hand gestures and tossing her head back laughing at something Francis said. From her view, Quinn presumed she was another gorgeous bird falling prey to her brother's smooth talking.

_Nothing like the Fabray charm to get a girl to fall at your feet,_ she smirked walking up to Francis and his brunette companion.

"Promising the world to yet another unsuspecting victim, brother?" she casually said as she neared them.

Rachel's mind raced when she heard a familiar voice behind her. Slowly, she turned to view who it was and gasped in surprise.


	6. You Got Me All Wrong

**A.N.: **finally, they meet! Thank you again everyone, especially those who left reviews and followed/favorited my ff. Aside from the usual disclaimer, I've also made some adjustments on the release of a movie or two and its cast so that they would fit my timeline for Rachel's Hollywood career (no copyright infringement meant at all, just for the sake of fiction).

**Chapter 5: You Got Me All Wrong**

"Ah, sister," Francis said, oblivious to Rachel's sudden change in composure. "We were just talking about you."

"Were you?" Quinn asked and stopped dead in her tracks when the brunette turned to face her. Her heart hammered out of control and her jaw nearly hit the floor in shock and pleasant surprise.

"Allow me to introduce my sister, Quinn. Quinn, this is Rachel. _Rachel Berry_," Francis said excitedly.

Quinn's mind was going a mile a minute as she took in the other girl's face in front of her. _Rachel,_ her mind reeled excitedly. She hadn't noticed both were staring at her. "Huh?" she asked as she became a bit breathless when her eyes connected with Rachel's.

"I said, this is Rachel Berry," Francis said with a roll of his eyes at his sister. "You'll have to excuse my sister. She fell off her horse considerably a few times during the game and she seemed to have misplaced her senses," he apologized to Rachel.

Quinn could not believe she was here! In front of her stood the woman that had been in her dreams for the past 24 hours.

Rachel's dress hugged her curves perfectly and the strapless design showed off her trimmed shoulders and arms. The hemline stopped a few inches above her knees, showing off her well-defined legs that seemed to go on for miles. She had her hair swept up neatly with a few stray strands on her face. She had peach lipstick on and a little blush, accentuating her high cheekbones. Her smoky eye shadow accented her brown eyes, making them sparkle even more. It was the first time she had ever seen her in a dress and with makeup on, granted they only met the other day, and Quinn thought she looked even more stunning.

_She looks even more beautiful than from what I remember._

Rachel stood silently, still a bit too shocked to say anything, and her mind was running on overdrive to function well enough for her to form coherent sentences. She couldn't believe it; she had been racking her brain all day yesterday trying to place Quinn's face, and now here she was, standing in front of her, in her polo uniform, at a charity fundraiser sponsored by the royal family.

Quinn…how many girls named Quinn hailing from the UK could there have been? Not that many, she should have realized that. And no wonder her eyes reminded her so much of someone – she had seen them before. And her smile. She reminded her so much of Princess Judy, she had thought last night as she lay in bed. And now, she knew why. She was Judy's daughter. She was Princess Quinn. The future heir to the British throne. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Hi," Rachel squeaked and admonished herself for sounding like she was high on helium.

Quinn shook out of her trance and smiled coyly at Rachel, suddenly feeling shy and very self-conscious. The brunette looked beautiful, and she looked…she looked down at her uniform and frowned. Her pants were filthy and stained faintly with grass and dirt. Her shirt was thankfully tucked in neatly with the collar turned up, just as she always wore it. Normally, she wouldn't really care much about her appearance, especially since she had just finished a rough game of polo. But standing there in front of Rachel, she felt…inadequate.

"Hi," she responded in a low murmur.

Francis looked between Rachel and Quinn and noted how uncomfortable yet accustomed they regarded each other.

"Have you two met?"

"Huh?" Rachel asked, tearing her eyes away from Quinn, and frowned.

"You two seem…I don't know, acquainted?" Francis asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looked at Quinn.

"Um, well, er…" Quinn said, her eyes darting back and forth from Rachel to her brother.

"I'm not sure," Rachel cut in. "Have we?" Though she was pretty darn sure that the blonde in front of her was the same person she met at St. Andrews yesterday, she still wanted to be definite.

"Well, if you were at St. Andrews yesterday and had ordered a spicy falafel melt after the game…then, yes?" Quinn said a bit hesitantly.

Rachel smiled and sighed in relief inwardly. "And if you were also at St. Andrews yesterday and the team you rooted for lost, and had paid for a stranger's falafel melt, then, yes?"

Quinn sighed in relief and smiled warmly at Rachel. She noticed the rooting-for-the-losing-team comment and smirked. Yes, this definitely was the charismatic brunette she had met the previous day.

Francis furrowed his brow and looked at both girls again. "Okay, so I take it that you have in fact met?" he said a little confused. After he digested both of their recounts on how they had met, Francis frowned and stared at his sister in disbelief and shock. "Wait, _you _met _her _yesterday at St. Andrews during the tournament you didn't even invite _me_ to?"

"What? I didn't think you'd be interested and you don't even go to St. Andrews." Quinn defended herself.

"Well, Rachel doesn't go there either yet she got in!" Francis almost yelled exasperatedly, causing a few stares at their direction.

"She was with a friend who's a student there," Quinn shrugged and smiled at Rachel, who was at that moment feeling a little out of place with the two royals' sibling spat. "And besides, she's a celebrity, and –" she stopped in mid-sentence and stared at Rachel.

_Rachel was Rachel Berry, a celebrity! A Hollywood actress! Oh my God, _Quinn thought. No wonder she looked so familiar. Rachel was a successful actress whose picture was perpetually in every tabloid the world over, and who had most of the world's population in love with her. She had legions of admirers falling at her feet willing and ready to do any of her bidding. She could have anybody she wanted. What exactly were her chances of getting a shot at her? She was this huge superstar, and she was just Quinn.

_Princess Q_uinn who's the future head of the throne, she reminded herself. As self-conceited and pretentious as it sounded, for once in her life, Quinn was actually glad for her title. _Maybe I do have a chance after all._ But then she frowned. She once read somewhere in one of her brother's Rachel Berry magazine collections that she didn't really go for the society-inclined type of guys.

_She thinks high society men and women are boring and narcissistic. _Her frown deepened. _But then again, __**I'm **__not exactly very into the whole high society charades either. _In fact, she abhorred high society life. And didn't she and Rachel enjoy each other's company yesterday while they chatted? She even let her pay for her food!

"Uh," Rachel started. She felt awkward. Here she was, in the middle of two very good looking royals, who were at the moment bickering over _her_, and all she could do was just stand there and look back and forth at them. This wasn't exactly how she had planned on seeing Quinn again.

That's _Princess _Quinn, Rachel frowned slightly and looked over at the blonde. _Oh my God, you were talking to Princess Quinn, even __**flirting **__with her, yesterday, and you didn't even realize it! And at the café! _She mentally slapped herself for her oversight and began her self-scolding. _And earlier this morning, you were practically trash-talking her with your best friend when in fact, you actually crushed on her big time!_

"I can't believe this!" Francis exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "How is it that you always manage to get everything first and end up ruining things for me?"

Quinn was about to answer her brother when Peter Phillips, their cousin, walked up to them and politely excused Francis. The younger royal sighed and glared at Quinn before politely excusing himself from Rachel and followed Peter to a table a few feet away. Peter looked over at Quinn and Rachel, giving her the once over and smirked. He gave Quinn a thumbs-up sign and winked, making both girls blush.

Quinn suppressed a smile as she looked down and thanked God for the moment alone with Rachel. "Sorry about that," she apologized.

"No, it's fine," Rachel smiled empathetically. "I may be an only child but I have a group of friends who are practically my family and believe me, I have my own fill of sibling squabbles every now and then."

Quinn and Rachel stood in place a bit restless, Quinn rocking back and forth from foot to foot as Rachel crossed and uncrossed her arms over her body.

"So," Quinn nodded.

"So," Rachel smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"How are you-?"

"It's wonderful seeing you-"

They both started at the same time. Immediately, they both halted their statements and turned bright red.

"You go first," Quinn offered with a smile.

"So, Your Highness?" Rachel asked teasingly. "You never told me your father was the Prince of Wales and that your grandmother was the Queen of England."

"Yes, well, you never asked," Quinn laughed. "And besides, you never told me either that you were friends with the likes of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, or the fact that you have an Oscar tucked away in your closet," she teased back.

"For your information, I do not keep my Oscar in my closet," Rachel stated seriously. "It's standing proudly in my living room shelf for everyone to see, thank you very much."

Quinn laughed and brushed her hair back. "Okay, my apologies then."

"Apology accepted," Rachel smiled.

Quinn gestured for Rachel to follow her and they sat down at one of the nearby tables, the blonde gallantly offering the other girl her seat before taking her own as well. Quinn picked up two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed one to Rachel as they started a conversation.

"Uh, so, did you enjoy the game?"

"Yeah, it was fun," Rachel swirled her glass before taking a sip. "I've never watched polo before. It was a bit confusing at first. I couldn't understand how point-scoring was done. But after yet again a brief lecture from my friend," Rachel said, rolling her eyes dramatically making Quinn chuckle. "I finally understood it."

"Wow, so many firsts for you," Quinn replied taking a sip from her glass. "Rugby, then polo…"

"Yeah, I know," Rachel smirked. "It's also my first time meeting actual royalty," she nodded tilting her glass towards Quinn. "I mean, it's ridiculous, now that you mention it. I'm like a virgin and-" her face scrunched up and a faint flush started to creep up her neck. "I mean, not that I'm not, you know, a _virgin_, because I _am_, and, and," a look of pure abject horror crossed her features and her face was now slowly taking on the same color as Quinn's shirt when she realized what she just said. "And I'm shutting up now," she finally says, mortified.

_What is it with you and the virgin comments today?_ Rachel mentally admonished herself. _First Francis, now Quinn? Oh God, she probably thinks I'm some sort of overly hormonal American who has a 24-hour sex-athon running in her brain!_

"Glad to be of service," Quinn grinned, raising her glass as if in a toast. She decided to skip the virgin comment, seeing as Rachel clearly felt more than embarrassed already. "So, what do you think of the party so far?" she asked, putting a little bit of sarcastic emphasis on the word 'party' with a tilt of her head.

"I've been thoroughly enjoying myself so far," Rachel said in relief that Quinn didn't tease her for her 'virgin' speech, and placed her glass on the table and began grazing her thumb nervously on the stem. "You?"

"Ah, well, once you've been to one, you've been to it all," Quinn remarked with a light shrug. "They all start looking all the same after a while," she added with a small smile.

"Yes, I see how it could get… cyclic in the long run," Rachel raised an eyebrow and sniggered. She watched in rapt attention as Quinn's eyes crinkled adorably at the corners as the blonde gave a hearty laugh. "Anyway," Rachel exhaled, moving their easy conversation along. "Is it always like this?"

"Is what always like what?"

"This _party_," Rachel said, parroting Quinn's earlier glib indicating the fundraiser with her hand. "I mean, I've been to several fundraisers myself. My fathers are like, big with charity, and it's not to say _I'm_ not, but um," she giggled lightly when Quinn chuckled in amusement. "Anyway, they mostly have live bands and are well, not this…" she trailed off, nodding at the humdrum attendance.

"Boring? Dreary? Insipid? Lethargic?" Quinn supplied for her.

"Uh, I was going to say solemn, but, your words, not mine," Rachel chuckled.

"It's okay," Quinn shrugged. "It _is_ the truth. I mean, at least there are more people around my age and people who can talk about other things than business and politics."

"Tell me about it," Rachel sighed, glad to be not the only one feeling out of place. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for charity fundraisers, but sometimes, it's just, I don't know, these things can be a bit tedious, you know?" she sat back in her chair and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip. The movement caused a shiver to run down Quinn's spine and she shifted a bit in her seat, hoping that her heart rate would decrease from going a mile a minute.

"I know," she replied slowly, trying to lower her heartbeat. "I mean, the constant introductions and title presentations can be very redundant. It's like, all these people have met you or already have prior familiarity with you and yet you have to make with the rounds as if it were requisite. I mean, I know it's important that you know who the participants and prospective benefactors are, but, it just gets a bit too, I don't know, taxing sometimes." She exhaled slowly and rubbed her temple. "Sorry, I got carried away, and –" she started to blush when she realized she had been ranting, only to see Rachel nodding her head in agreement.

"No, don't apologize. It's okay to vent out once in a while. I mean, I know exactly what you're talking about," Rachel nodded her head supportively.

_I know exactly what you're talking about..._

That one phrase really hit a nerve with Quinn. No one had told her that they knew exactly what she was on about. No one could.

Ever since she was a child, she had her life picked out for her. From the clothes she wore to the schools she went to, everything was handed to her on a silver platter. Not that she ever complained. If she recalled correctly, she was once known as "Quinn the Basher" and "Princess of Wails" for her temper tantrums as a child. 'Boisterous and often times rebellious,' the press would often call her. But that was before her parents' divorce and her mother's tragic death the year after. And though the public's genuine, but often morbid, empathy level for her and her brother proceeding Judy's funeral was at best highly appreciated, Quinn highly resented the unwanted attention, especially the subsequent unprecedented interest of the public and press. As future Queen and hope for the restoration of dignity to the throne, she has had to endure an inordinate amount of incursions on her personal freedom. And when she became a student at St. Andrews University in Scotland, she had the dishonor of being tailed by film crew from Ardent Productions, a company operated by her own uncle, Prince Edward. One call to her father put an end to it, but as one can imagine, if Quinn cannot even count on the Fabray family for privacy, life as a royal heir has its fair share of obstacles.

And now here was someone in front of her claiming that they knew exactly what she was talking about. Ordinarily, she'd huff and cast doubt on their claims. But this was different. Somehow, in the recesses of her mind and gut, she trusted Rachel. Maybe it was the fact that she was a high profile celebrity and was no stranger to living life under constant scrutiny herself. Or maybe it was in the way she said those words, with utmost sincerity and a sense of comfort and understanding which were quite reassuring to Quinn.

_'I know exactly what you're talking about.'_

Rachel was definitely no stranger to high society or to the life of the privileged. Growing up, she had life's every luxury at the tip of her fingertips. Aside from Hiram Berry being the Mayor of the City of New York two administrations running, her other father, Leroy Coltrane-Berry, was also a fixture on the social scene. Currently, the other Mr. Berry was CEO and head director of the Coltrane Medical Groups Corporation and spearheaded various charity foundations, and also happened to be heir to the Coltrane Marketing Groups, whose main focus was on agriculture, winery, export and import.

Not one for the social scene, Rachel at first got involved in theatre and the arts just for the thrill and love of it, but the stereotyping - though she was extremely proud of her familial background and heritage - had become quite irksome for her, and was reason enough for her to indulge in the arts more as a means of proving herself as something more than just a rich spoiled brat. And despite persisting rumors of an under-the-table job, the entertainment world quickly recognized her talent as a budding actress when she first graced the silver screen alongside Cameron Diaz in 2006's _My Sister's Keeper_.

Quinn relaxed a little, finally letting her guard down and disrobing the protective armor she usually wore to deflect any attempt at initiating rapport with seemingly one-track-minded debutantes and suspicious 'honey traps' - attractive young women planted by the tabloids to prey on her and her brother when they're out at night or even at social events such as this fundraiser.

"How do you do it?" Quinn finally asked, after what seemed like an hour of silence.

"Do what?"

"That." When Rachel gave her a confused look, Quinn smiled. "You know, stay dettached from all of this," she leaned back in her chair and indicated the crowd.

"Oh, that." Rachel rolled her eyes in amusement. "I don't know, I just, I guess I'm just not into the whole anarchism of it all. I mean, I remember when I was younger, I'd attend these mixers my dad would have with his business colleagues where he would chat with some of the high executives about which company they would be toppling next. They'd laugh their _rich manly laughs," – _Rachel's voice dipped as she attempted a more masculine voice – "and sip their brandies while their wives would be sitting on the couch, sitting up straight with their legs crossed politely, complimenting each other's husbands and make little comments about the wonderful lighting in the dining hall." Rachel rolled her eyes to Quinn's laughter. "I always made an appearance but rarely stuck around for the mindless badgering and compliments."

"Those are some wonderful childhood memories you've got there," Quinn chuckled, amused by her account.

"Well, not all of them were bad," Rachel said with an eye roll at Quinn's _do indulge me _expression. "Although, well, I vaguely remember attending one of my daddy's medical conferences and a chicken was used as a demonstration for laser surgery." She shivered involuntarily at the memory. "Yet again, not the best example of my childhood, but it was what made me turn to becoming a vegetarian."

"I'll bet," Quinn agreed with a wince, but nevertheless perked up a bit, tremendously intrigued to know every single detail about Rachel's life. "Was that why you ordered the falafel melt?"

"Yeah," Rachel smiled, a bit surprised that Quinn actually remembered details of their interaction from the other day. "Been meat-free since age 8. Battling animal cruelty is such an important cause for me and seeing that demonstration just solidified my stance against carnivorism. No offense."

"No, no. I completely understand." Quinn shook her head and gave her a flirtatious smile. "At least now I know how it is you manage to stay in such fantastic shape."

"Why, Quinn Fabray, are you coming on to me?" Rachel flirted back despite herself. Hey, fight fire with fire.

"What would you do if I said yes?" Quinn asked in a low voice. She leaned over, took a deep breath and slowly but surely said in a husky tone, "Do you even know how stunning you are?"

_Oh God. Did I really just say that out loud?_Quinn thought, mortified. She normally wasn't so forward. Not that she was overly shy when it came to flirting or meeting girls, but... still.

Rachel blushed but didn't look away. Instead, she smiled, instantly putting the blonde at ease. Quinn gave a small girlish grin that had Rachel's tummy doing back flips.

"Thank you," Rachel said graciously, accepting the compliment. "But you know," she said, her voice dropping into a sexy purr, "you've got me beat, hands down. You are… quite the eye candy for sore eyes."

Rachel couldn't believe her own ears. Was she the one saying such a thing? Being all big with the flirting?

"And," she whispered. "The whole world agrees with me."

"Same goes for you too," Quinn answered, as her gaze moved from Rachel's eyes to her lips. Her tongue darted out briefly to moisten them and suddenly Quinn was glad she was seated, as that small unconscious action sent shivers of arousal down her spine and straight to her groin area.

Time stopped as they slowly leaned in closer towards one another. Rachel's lips were now so close Quinn could feel the hot breath issuing from them. Just a few more inches and she would be able to feel them...

"Rachel! Princess!" William's voice rang in their ears like the dismissal bell at a high school just went off for summer vacation. Quinn and Rachel pulled back immediately, looking at each other, wondering what just happened. "There you are." William casually walked over to his client's side, oblivious to the blush creeping over both Quinn and Rachel's faces. "I'm sorry to break this up, but your father called. Emma said to call back as soon as possible. Something about school or the sort."

"Um…" Rachel tried to think, but couldn't. "Sure, I'm just going to uh," she turned to Quinn and gave her a look of apology. "I'm really sorry about this, but, could you excuse me? I really need to-"

"Um, yes, sure. Of course," Quinn hurriedly said. It was all her mind could come up with at the moment.

"Thanks," Rachel smiled, getting up. "I'm really sorry. I'll see you around?"

"Yes, of course." Quinn tried to hide the disappointment in her voice and held out her hand. "It was wonderful seeing you again."

Rachel shook her hand and gave it a quick little squeeze before giving Quinn another smile and turning to follow William back to where Emma and her friends were.

Minutes of silence fell down upon Quinn as she stood there watching Rachel's figure walk away and into the crowd to join her manager. Even the way she walked was so sensual, her swaying hips hugged by the red dress which also hugged the curves of her bottom... so hot... _Okay, staring blatantly at a girl's arse in a crowded vicinity... not such a good idea._ Quinn was mortified and she rubbed her temples, getting lost in her own world. Thinking about what had just happened just minutes ago before being interrupted.

_You almost kissed her,_ she thought as she sat back down slowly. _You flirted with her and she flirted back. And you almost kissed her. At this fundraiser, in broad daylight, in front of all these people. You almost kissed her!_

Quinn took two glasses of champagne from a waiter and quickly drank the first glass in one gulp. She ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed her temple.

_I just hope the press hadn't gotten a shot of that. For Rachel's sake and mine_. She sighed and slowly finished the second glass of champagne. She looked over the crowd and spotted the brunette actress several meters away. She discreetly swept her eyes down her body. _But what an arse!_


	7. Title And Registration

**Chapter 6: Title And Registration**

"I am exhausted!" Rachel exclaimed to the room as she collapsed on her bed. "I cannot believe all the handshaking I had to do. I felt like I was running for candidacy or something," she mumbled, staring up at the ceiling and closing her eyes.

"But wasn't it exciting?" Kurt bounced on the bed. "I mean, can you believe we actually met David Beckham?"

"Oh, God, I know! He was just so gorgeous and cute and polite," Mercedes joined in as she walked to the adjoining bathroom. "And did I mention gorgeous?"

"And Jude Law! Don't forget Jude Law," Tina said over her shoulder as she took her necklace off and placed it on the dresser. "He was just so, so…"

"Dreamy," Kurt finished with a sigh. He looked down at Rachel, who at the moment had covered her eyes with her hands and was letting out a yawn. "What about you Rach? Any comment on the wonderfully gorgeous guys at the fundraiser?"

"None," Rachel replied tiredly, sitting up. "Unless of course you count all the aristocratic gentlemen I had the pleasure of talking to as decadently gorgeous."

"Translation: being stuck talking to frumpy old men with stuffy British accents is no fun when you're surrounded by gorgeous hunks at a country club," Mercedes yelled from the bathroom as she changed into her pajamas, making all the girls laugh.

"Speaking of gorgeous party guests, guess what my little eye spied today." Tina sing-songed from the dresser as she brushed her hair. She turned, crossed both arms over her chest and grinned evilly at Rachel.

"What?"

"Oh, just a certain brown-eyed brunette we know talking to a gorgeous hazel-eyed blonde royal," Tina grinned and flopped down on the bed next to Kurt and Rachel.

"What?!" Both Kurt and Mercedes exclaimed.

Mercedes came running out from the bathroom with toothpaste on the corner of her mouth. "Okay, spill." She pinned Rachel in her gaze. "You talked to Prince Francis?!"

"Actually, I meant Princess Quinn," Tina corrected her friend. "Although, you were talking to her brother as well."

"Big pimpin' Berry style, huh Rach?" Kurt waggled His eyebrows suggestively.

Rachel groaned and flopped back onto the bed. She pulled a pillow over her head and wondered how long she could hide under the fluffy shield before her curious friends crawled in after her.

"We chatted for a while, no biggie," Rachel replied in a muffled whisper from under the pillow.

"Flirted was more like it," Tina teased, poking the pillow that covered the brunette's face.

"We _so_ did not flirt," Rachel protested as she crawled out from under the pillow and settled it under her chin. "We talked about the fundraiser and the game. That's all." Of course, Rachel wouldn't admit that at some point the friendly discussion did in fact turn into some mild, not-so-subtle flirting.

"Oh, please!" Tina said, waving her hand dismissively. "You had that coy little not-so-innocent grin on whenever you talk to anybody you find cute. Not to mention the leaning."

"Leaning? What leaning?" Kurt asked, dying to know the details.

"There was no leaning," Rachel insisted. She sat up and faced her friends. "We were sitting across each other. How could there be any leaning?"

"Oh!" Mercedes exclaimed and joined everyone else on the bed. "You mean that cute blonde Rachel was talking to this morning after the game? Girl, she was flirting with you big time!" Her eyes grew wide like a startled cat. "Oh my God, _that_ was Princess Quinn?"

"See, what did I tell you?" Tina said smugly as Rachel groaned.

"Okay, now, where was I when all of this happened?" Kurt whined.

"Okay, this is insane." Rachel stood and walked over to the dresser and fidgeted with a hairbrush. "For the last time, there was no flirting!" She waved the hairbrush in exasperation.

"Huh, yeah, you're right." Mercedes said wistfully, paying no attention to Rachel's protests. "She was definitely leaning over to her."

"Yeah, I think they were probably even going to kiss if they weren't interrupted by Schuester," Tina said thoughtfully.

"Oh!" Kurt exclaimed. "I remember. That girl in the polo uniform Rachel was talking to... they were drinking champagne too, right?"

"Okay, that's it." Rachel sprinted for the bed and grabbed some pillow weapons and began smacking the trio.

"Just admit it already," Tina teased as she dodged a pillow.

"Admit to what? It was just friendly conversation." Rachel swatted Tina on the behind. "So I talked to a princess. Big deal!"

Tina squealed and dove behind Mercedes and Kurt for rescue. "Hey, I wasn't the only one with the teasing," she said from behind them. "They were doing it too!"

"Was not," Kurt insisted as he deflected a pillow. "I was just trying to remember the events that happened this morning that I wasn't paying much attention to." He snickered as he dodged Rachel's assault. "It was purely recollection! Unlike Mercedes and Tina here."

"Hey!" Mercedes grabbed a pillow and launched an attack against their assailant. Kurt and Tina pounced on Rachel and the three fell into a heap on the bed.

Mercedes smirked as she joined the foray and the three of them began smacking Rachel with pillows.

"No fair! That's three against one!" Rachel covered her face as the assault became a frenzy of pillow smacks.

"Give up?" Tina asked as she swatted the brunette's behind.

"Okay, I surrender!" The actress' hair was jutting out in every direction.

"So you admit it?" Tina asked in a smug tone.

"Only because my insurance doesn't cover getting killed by frenzied pillow fights," Rachel said, straightening up and fixing her hair.

"Fine. We'll drop this only if you promise to dish all the details tomorrow morning," Kurt bargained. He slowly got up off the bed and nodded towards the door. "Come on," he tugged Mercedes and Tina with him to the door. "Let's go and let miss diva have her beauty sleep."

Rachel rolled her eyes and ushered her friends out. "Now, I love you guys and all, but y'all gotta get the hell outta here." She closed the door and yelled, "And no midnight tiki attacks!"

* * *

Quinn woke up early the next morning. She blinked up at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to shake the cobwebs of sleep. Then she turned, the clock on her nightstand blinked at her. Slowly, methodically, taunting red numbers flashed over and over again. 5:02. 5:02. 5:02. She shut her eyes, but the numbers were still there, tattooed to her eyelids.

Quinn ran her hand over her hair and sighed. The events of the previous day washed over her like a warm embrace. Yesterday to her delight, she saw Rachel again, and was able to spend more time with her, and finally get the information she wanted.

Rachel Berry.

She had stayed up late last night, surfing the internet for anything on Rachel. She was stunned when she entered the search for her name. She gasped in pleasant shock as a long list of URL's popped up. Sure, she knew that Rachel was a famous movie star, but she wasn't prepared for the infinite number of fan sites her fans and admirers had meticulously set-up for the brunette.

She had checked on at least five sites until she found one to her liking. _Perfect_, she had thought. The site had all the information she needed – from Rachel's vitals to her upcoming projects. One section held her interest the most: the picture gallery. She stared in awe as she scanned through dozens and dozens of magazine and promotional shots. She couldn't believe how beautiful Rachel was. But she especially loved the candid shots, more specifically, the black and white candid shots. Quinn loved how the light highlighted the girl's hair and her cheek bones. The way the camera captured her beauty – simple but elegant and sophisticated – reminding her of old Hollywood, the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly coming into mind. And her eyes. Quinn loved gazing into her eyes, the way they'd twinkle and form crinkles when she'd laugh, and how her full lips would curl into that shy smile that sent tingles down her spine. Later, she placed an order online for all the movies Rachel had starred in, starting from her first work to her last DVD release.

Sighing, Quinn got up from bed and headed straight for the shower. She didn't have classes until nine, but she couldn't stay in her room any longer. She had to get out, try and clear her mind and stop thinking about Rachel. At least, that's what she told herself, knowing full well it wouldn't work.

After quickly throwing on some clothes, she decided to go out for a quiet walk. She wandered through the quiet town of St. Andrews, heading nowhere in particular. She watched the minimal number of people around her, and as she approached St. AndrewsUniversity, students without a care in the world other than getting to class and what frat party they would go to that night. She wondered what it would be like to be that carefree, that at ease with life.

Her thoughts faded back to the conversation she had with her father yesterday after most of the guests had left.

_"Now Quinn, you do know that I love you and that I only look out for your best interest," Russell said when he and Quinn sat down for a private talk._

_"Yes, father, I know."_

_"Good. Now, I don't want to pressure you, but you will be turning 21 this coming summer, and the responsibilities that come along with that are-"_

_"Papa, do we really need to have this speech again?" Quinn sighed. "Yes, I already know. Grandmother, as well as the people, will have high expectations for me and I am acutely aware of my role in society." _

_"I know Quinn, and I wouldn't want to put any added amount of pressure on you, but," _

_"I know I've been avoiding my duties, but right now I'm really just concentrating on getting through the next two years," Quinn said. "Afterwards, I'll do whatever is needed of me."_

_"Actually, I wasn't going to go into that, but I'm glad that you're well aware of your responsibilities come the time," Russell chuckled. "I was actually going to ask about more personal things."_

_"Huh?" Quinn was confused. If her father wasn't going to remind her more on her royal duties, then what?_

_"How are your social engagements going? Any lucky lady occupying your thoughts?"_

_"Papa!" Quinn blushed. "I'd rather not talk about it but if you must know, no, I have not been indulging in any on-campus romances." Maybe off-campus, but certainly not on, she added as an after thought._

_"Alright, alright! I get it," Russell chuckled at his blushing daughter. "But just remember, if you do meet someone…"_

_Quinn began to protest but Russell didn't let her. "I know, I know. I just want you to be careful. After all, you know well enough how relentless some of the press can be. And I'm only saying this because I don't want you getting hurt again."_

_"I know," Quinn sighed. "I am more careful. I know better now. I won't let a pretty face cloud my judgment again."_

Quinn looked down at her watch. 6:35. She had been wandering around town for more than an hour. She stopped and closed her eyes, tilting her head back to feel the early morning sun a little more fully on her face. It was a glorious morning, the air crisp and cool and the sun soft and warm. The contrast was intoxicating, and it soothed her. She inhaled deeply, letting the fresh breeze fill her lungs, and it steadied her.

She opened her eyes and resumed walking, playing over the conversation with her father in her head. _"I saw you talking to Rachel Berry this morning," _Russell had said. _"I had the pleasure of chatting with her myself. Lovely girl. A good head on her shoulders too."_

_Rachel_, Quinn thought, a small smile creeping up on her. She reached her hand up to her face, tracing the upward curve of her lips. It intrigued her, the involuntary reaction her body seemed to have any time she thought of the brunette actress. She wiped the smile from her face and tried again. _Rachel._ Another smile graced her lips. She laughed. It felt good to laugh.

* * *

Rachel woke up extra chipper that morning, and God knows why. She had previously been a morning person, but that was before the toll of juggling a filming career with school had taken her body's internal alarm clock and screwed it up. Now she would take every opportunity she had to sleep in and just enjoy being in bed. Apparently today was not one of those days.

She walked down the hallway only to be greeted by silence. She checked her watch. It was only 6 AM. _No wonder_, she thought with a roll of her eyes.

She checked on her friends to see them all still fast asleep in their respective rooms. _I guess everyone's pretty beat up from yesterday._

She made her way back to her room and decided to go for a quick run across town.

_I haven't run in a while, _she thought as she finished getting dressed after her shower. _I hope I don't end up pulling a muscle or anything._

After gathering her things, she quietly went downstairs and wrote a note telling her friends where she went to and that she'd be back in a short while. After sticking it on the fridge, she took off for her morning run, Gatorade and iPod in hand.

* * *

Quinn stopped by a nearby cafe to get a cup of coffee, hoping a shot of caffeine would clear her brain. As she finished paying for her coffee, she noticed that most of the patrons in the shop were stealing glances at her and murmuring to one another. She shook her head and decided that maybe she was just being paranoid, especially when the locals were very friendly and normally never really paid her that much attention. Then she shuddered as the headline of various morning papers caught her attention.

**Princess Quinn Connects with Actress Rachel Berry: Tryst or Friendship?**

**Quinn Gets a Whiff of Berry**

**Could Rachel Berry Be the Next Grace Kelly?**

**Quinn Going Hollywood with Rachel Berry**

She almost choked as she swallowed her coffee in shock.

"Bloody hell!" She quickly got out of the café, furious and at the same time speechless at the tabloid gossip already.

_For Pete's sake, we only met two days ago! How can there be anything more between us?_ She walked silently and briskly down the pavement, anger bubbling underneath her seemingly cool exterior. _I haven't even asked Rachel out yet and everyone's talking about us like we're the latest…Brangelina in town!_

* * *

_Where, oh, where is the girl that I found?_

_She was the best, the sweetest thing in this broken-down town_

_Where can this girl be now?_

_She used to make me feel like God when she'd go it on down_

Rachel hummed along to The Heavy's 'No Time'. She continued jogging down the sidewalk happily and noted how quiet and peaceful the town was, even at half past six in the morning. _Huh_, she snorted. If this were LA, there'd be complete ruckus and the traffic would be enough to drive anybody insane.

She careened around the corner of a building, blindly cutting right at the edge of the wall. Suddenly, she was on the ground, her headphones hanging off of her ears, and her top covered in coffee. She shoved the headphones down around her neck and looked up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, here, let me help you up," a familiar voice said.

"You know, you really should watch where you're going, you-" Rachel started then stopped herself when she recognized who it was.

"Rachel!" Quinn exclaimed in surprise. She smiled but soon frowned when she noticed the other girl was still sitting on the ground, with her coffee all over her top to make it worse. "Oh God, I am so sorry," she apologized, quickly helping Rachel up. "Are you alright?" she asked, her tone almost pleading.

"I'm fine," Rachel smiled, getting up. She dusted herself and looked down at her top. "A bit soiled, but fine." She sighed and unzipped her sweater and promptly took it off. _That was my favorite sweater too,_ she sighed deflatedly.

"Again, I am really sorry," Quinn almost whimpered. "I feel terrible, um, here," she quickly took off her jacket and handed it to the brunette. "Put this on. It's a bit chilly out today and I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"Quinn, no, really, it's fine," Rachel said giving back the blonde's jacket. She gave the other girl a coy grin. "At least we're even now."

"No, no!" Quinn replied, politely shoving her jacket back. "Your top's ruined, and, and, it's all my fault, and really, I have a sweater on, and it's fine."

Rachel smiled at the young royal's frantic worrying and apology. Her cheeks were bright red against her fair skin and Rachel thought it was simply adorable.

"Okay, okay." She took her jacket and teased her. "But you owe me a new sweater."

"Again, I apologize for ruining your top," she smiled as he took in the sight of Rachel in her overgrown jacket. It was probably three sizes larger than her own frame, and it hung over the brunette as if she were a hanger. She looked adorable. Just as Rachel was rolling up the sleeves, Quinn quickly asked, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Rachel finished rolling the sleeves up her arms and smiled. "Actually no, no I haven't."

"Well, would you like to join me for some local rations then?"

Her stomach grumbled in response. "I guess that's a yes," Rachel laughed.

* * *

"No way!" Rachel exclaimed in awe, placing her mocha on the table of the small bistro they were in.

"I'm serious," Quinn shook her head. "It was well over six feet long, probably about my brother's height. I thought for sure it was going to lunge at us."

"Oh my God, so you shot it?"

"Edgar shot it with a tranquilizer gun. We weren't exactly allowed to kill any wildlife in the sanctuary's vicinity."

Quinn was telling Rachel of her exploits in Africa when she went on a safari last summer as they sat in a corner at St. Luke's, a restaurant Quinn and her friends frequently spent their breakfasts at , which also conveniently served vegetarian options. Rachel had let the blonde order for her, stating she was all for the new food experience.

"God, I wish I could be more like that." Rachel stabbed a veggie sausage with her fork. "To be able to venture out into the wild like that has been a dream of mine."

"Really?" Quinn swallowed her food. "Well, maybe you should join us when we go back there this summer?" and added in her thoughts, _It would be wonderful and tremendous to have you join me over the summer. We could spend the nights by the bonfire singing, talking, cuddling…_

"Oh, I'd love to but I can't." She wiped her mouth and frowned. "Movie shoot."

"Oh," Quinn tried to hide the disappointment from her voice.

"Yeah, we'll be filming partially in Italy then France and the Czech Republic." Quinn nodded and leaned forward, urging the brunette to continue. "But it'll only be for like, 3 months."

"Still, spending the summer in Italy, France and the Czech Republic." Quinn smiled while internally trying to digest the brunette's busy schedule as an actress. She'd only ever had to go on prolonged visits to more than 2 countries during her gap year, and that was over the course of several months. The blonde could only imagine having to be whisked off to a different exotic location on a moment's notice and all for the name of duty. She tried to mask her grimace at the exhaustion Rachel must face with another smile. "That's gottta be fun."

"More like all work and no fun," Rachel grumbled and the blonde laughed.

"Well, what about your plans after?"

"Hmmm." The brunette pondered. She moved the remainder of her baked beans around in her plate as she thought Quinn's question over. "I'm actually thinking of going back to school this fall."

Quinn's eyebrows slowly shot up at the revelation. "Really?" At Rachel's nod, she softly smiled. "Well, that's good."

Rachel returned the other girl's smile with a slightly tentative one of her own. "Yeah, I'm already mentally bracing myself for my return to academia." She rubbed her forehead trying to drive away the arriving headache just from thinking about the incoming school year. "They say junior year's the worst. And I've seen some of the juniors from last year. They were walking around like zombies – their eye bags were practically drooping to their cheeks and their eyes were blood shot." She shook her head. "I looked over my syllabus and my brain could hardly grasp all the courses we had and the amount of studying ahead of us."

Quinn smiled thoughtfully. "I know. You'd think freshman year would be hard enough. Now you have to face the third year. Which brings me to my next question." She waited until the other girl looked up at her. "You're 18, right? But you're already in your junior year?"

"Actually I'm turning 19 this December," Rachel smiled and reached for her mocha. "I graduated high school when I was 16 and I didn't take a year off right after, unlike some people," she pointed her mug at Quinn who chuckled. "I decided it was better to have everything done and over with. So I dove in head on."

"Well, except for the sabbatical you're currently on," Quinn chirped in response to the brunette's dig.

"Touché," Rachel raised her mug at the blonde's comeback. She grinned at the royal, her eyes twinkling challengingly. "My sabbatical, however, is only good for half the school year. I still completed my fall semester last year, which is still an up on _your_ 1 year hiatus."

Quinn let out a bark of laughter. "Well, then I suppose you've got me there." She grinned back at the other girl, thoroughly enjoying their easy banter.

After sharing another fit of laughter, they slipped into a short silence. Rachel smiled warmly at Quinn before picking up her mug again and took a sip, her eyes exploring the surroundings, or at least, anything else besides the charming blonde royal in front of her.

As Rachel continued looking around with her eyes, Quinn took the opportunity to further examine the brunette's profile. _More like gawk at her,_ she told herself. Before long, she got lost in Rachel's eyes again – warm, inviting brown orbs the color of the world's finest chocolate – which were framed by long lashes. She frowned slightly, fearing that they would prevent her from learning anything about her.

Rachel could feel Quinn's intense stare boring into her, and she gulped down some more of her mocha. _Oh, God. Is she staring at me?_ she thought frantically. _Do I have a zit on my face or something?_ she brushed her hand against her face as nonchalantly as possible. _Nope, nothing there. She's looking at me...crap._Taking a deep breath, she finally placed down her mug back on the table and looked up to see Quinn still gazing at her. With an intensity enough to bend over a metal spoon.

"What?" Rachel finally asked, feeling a flush making its way from her neck up.

"How are you able to do it? Continue going to school, especially college, while being able to make movies and do what you do? I mean, I remember my first year here and I thought I'd die from being homesick and all the pressures that came along."

"Oh, well," Rachel said, a little taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and started playing with it. "I don't know. Ever since I started in this business, my fathers worked an agreement with my manager that I work only during the summer so that it wouldn't interrupt my schooling. And I guess that helped a lot."

"Oh," Quinn nodded in agreement. "You're lucky. I remember my first time here. I think it was the new surroundings. When I was with Raleigh International in Nicaragua in my gap year, it was the same sort of thing. You're thrown into completely new territory. I guess it was a bit daunting and new. The freedom and independence and all."

"Huh," Rachel nodded thoughtfully. "I know the feeling. That's why I hate the first days at a new school. I mean, you go in and you don't know anyone. And then there's the feeling that everybody's staring at you and whispering behind your back. But then again, paranoia can do that to you too."

Quinn smiled and sighed. "I actually thought about not coming back here. My father and I talked and he managed to put some good senses in me. It made me realize that I had – _definitely –_ had to come back."

Rachel smiled empathetically at Quinn. She knew all too well how it felt like to feel out of place and to not belong. She remembered when she had first started acting and her first movie came out how the kids at her school made fun of her and teased her about her movie star status. It had gotten so bad that she had to transfer to a new school after middle school, and although her new schoolmates had also teased her at first, they quickly adapted to her and treated her like a normal person in the end. It was the same in Hollywood – she knew how some other actors resented her simply for the fact of who her family was, how they all thought she wasn't deserving of her success because they didn't think she worked hard enough for it. She learned to take it all in stride, of course, knowing that it would only be a waste of time and effort on her part to entertain their resentment towards her. Her family and friends were proud of her, and at the end of the day, it was their opinion that mattered to her the most.

She reached over and softly gave Quinn's hand a squeeze. "I know exactly what you mean."

Quinn blushed and looked down at her hand in Rachel's and smiled. She relished in the softness and warmth of the other girl's touch. It was amazing how just a simple touch from the brunette could soothe her.

"I'm actually thinking of switching to Geography this year," Quinn revealed.

"How come?" Rachel asked, slowly and unconsciously running small circles with her thumb over the back of Quinn's hand. When she realized what she was doing, she released the blonde's hand and used it to perch her chin on instead.

"I don't know, I just," Quinn frowned at the loss of the brunette's touch. She took in a deep breath and let out a nervous laugh. "It seems more interesting. And I guess it would depend on my examination results. I mean, I do love art, and both geography and arts history were my top two choices, but I honestly don't know. I'm quite torn between the two."

"Well, maybe you should make a pros and cons list. You know, to help you find out which one you like best?"

"Hmm, I never thought about that," she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, but also a bit embarrassedly. _Why didn't I think of that?_ "You know what, I'll do that. Maybe it will help sort out the muddle I have in my head."

"Glad to help." Rachel smiled warmly at Quinn who returned it with one of her own. She looked down at her watch and lightly cursed herself.

"Oh, I should go. It's nearly quarter-past eight and I have a class at nine and-" she murmured half-heartedly, disappointed at not being able to spend more time with the brunette actress.

"Oh, of course!" Rachel pushed back her chair and rummaged her pockets for her wallet. "Oh, shoot! I forgot my wallet." She glanced over at Quinn sheepishly. "I guess I wasn't counting on eating out for breakfast. Do you mind-?"

"No, it's fine." Quinn reached for her pocket and placed a few notes on the table before getting up and helping the other girl out of her seat.

"I feel like a crass ingrate," Rachel started as they walked out of the bistro. "I mean, you already paid for me back at the game, and now…"

Quinn cut her off before she apologized any further. "No, believe me. It was a pleasure. I honestly don't mind. And besides, it was my fault that you had coffee all over your shirt."

Rachel laughed and looked down at Quinn's jacket. "Well, I guess there is that."

"So, uh, can I walk you home?" Quinn asked nervously.

"Nah, I don't want to trouble you any more. And besides, you have class, remember?" She smiled when Quinn blushed. She looked over across the street and saw a cab approaching. "I'll just take a taxi home."

"But I thought you left your purse?"

"Well, I could always exchange personal favors for a few pounds, right?" she laughed when the blonde's jaw dropped and her eyes sort of bugged out. "Seriously, I'll just pay the driver when I get home."

"Oh, okay," Quinn replied, a bit flustered. She hailed the cab for her and helped her inside.

"Oh, your jacket," Rachel took the jacket off and gave it to the royal. "Thank you by the way."

"You're very welcome." She closed the door and leaned down to the window. "Again, I apologize for spilling coffee all over your-"

"Now who's being redundant?" Rachel smiled and looked at her in the eye from the window. "I had a wonderful time. And the breakfast was very hearty." She said and patted her stomach for emphasis.

Quinn laughed and straightened up. "Well, I do hope to see you again?"

Rachel returned the smile and bit her lower lip. "I hope so. Thanks again for the food."

"Anytime," Quinn smiled and waved as the cab slowly drove away.

"Bye," Rachel waved back. She sighed and sat back in her seat, a smile plastered on her face.

Quinn watched the cab disappear into the distance and sighed. She brought her jacket up to her face and slowly inhaled Rachel's scent.

Lavender and Vanilla. She sighed again and put her jacket on. _I'm never washing this jacket ever again._

With a goofy grin plastered on her face, she hailed herself a cab and went home to freshen up for her morning classes.

* * *

Rachel jiggled the key in the lock before feeling it finally turn. She opened the door and made a dash up the stairs to her bedroom, not noticing the surprised glances her friends were giving her as she passed the kitchen.

"Where'd she come from?" Jesse asked Kurt.

"I think she went out jogging," he replied, having read Rachel's note earlier.

They watched the brunette speed downstairs again and outside to where a cab was waiting. She paid the driver her fare and went back inside the house to be greeted by questioning looks.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Where have you been?" Mercedes asked from the counter.

"Out. Jogging. Didn't you see the note I left you on the fridge?" she walked over to the fridge and opened it.

"Yeah, but that was like, over two hours ago." Mercedes looked over to the wall clock. "No, make that three hours ago. Where have you been?"

"Nowhere, _mother._" Rachel rolled her eyes and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "I went for a run and had some breakfast, that's all." She walked over to the table and took a seat.

"You had breakfast? Where?" Tina asked sitting down next to her.

"And with whom?" Kurt added.

"Just a friend." She rolled her eyes and sighed at her friends' peering faces. "Fine, if you must know, I bumped into Quinn and he treated me to breakfast."

"Quinn? As in, _Princess _Quinn?" Kurt looked at her in shock.

"Yes, but-"

"Wait, you just had breakfast with Princess Quinn?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Yes, but-"

"Oh my God, was that her in the car that dropped you off?" Mercedes exclaimed excitedly. She walked over to the window and strained her neck to see if the car was still there.

"No, that would be the cab I took home," Rachel rolled her eyes again.

"Okay, so spill. You just joined her royal gorgeousness for breakfast and you didn't even call?" Kurt demanded.

"Okay, first of all, it was just a friendly breakfast," Rachel defended herself. "And second of all, I didn't even bring my wallet, let alone my cell phone. And besides, it was her way of making up for spilling coffee all over me."

"Whoa, back up just a bit. You went out without any bodyguards? Are you insane?" Jesse yelled, jumping off from the counter.

"What? It's not like I'd get kidnap and get taken away for ransom or anything. I'm back aren't I?" Rachel said infuriated. "God, you're worse than Will _and_ my dads combined!"

Jesse made a face and crossed his arms over his chest. He grabbed the remote from the counter and turned the TV on to SkyNews.

_"And now for today's morning paper headlines,"_ the announcer on the TV said in his clipped British accent.

Everyone in the room turned their eyes to the TV and gasped. Several of the morning's papers had headlines of Rachel and Quinn on the cover with pictures of them at the St. Andrews rugby tournament and yesterday's fundraiser. They all turned their heads to Rachel who was at the moment choking on her juice.

"Oh my God, I can't believe this!" she exclaimed in shock at the media's exposé of their meeting.

"I thought you said it was all innocuous with you and the princess?"

"Are you two dating now?"

"You met her at the game? Why didn't you say anything?"

Rachel groaned at the barrage of questions being hurled at her by her friends. Mercedes made her way over to the table and sat down near the girl.

"So, tell us about the breakfast you had with the royal."

"Oh, it was really good," Rachel said gleefully, quickly forgetting about her momentary anger flash. "We ordered this breakfast platter that consisted of veggie sausages, potato scones, mushrooms and tomatoes with baked beans and this stuff called black pudding, which I totally do not recommend eating ever since it's basically cooked blood and-"

"I highly doubt she meant the food," Kurt cut his rambling friend off.

"Yeah, I meant Quinn," Mercedes stressed. "How was sharing breakfast with Quinn?"

"Oh, that," Rachel replied sheepishly. "It was fine. We talked about stuff. You know, school and stuff."

"Right," Sam snorted. "Well, according to the media, you and Union Jack princess are quite the item."

Rachel scowled and threw a piece of grape at him.

"Elaborate on the stuff part," Tina asked keenly.

"Just, you know, her summer African safari exploits and college life," Rachel shrugged, ignoring her friends' taunts. "Nothing of the flirtatious variety," she remarked playfully.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Kurt snorted in disbelief.

"And quite frankly," Rachel said and stood up. She walked over to the sink and rinsed her glass. "It really is none of your business when you think about it." She walked out of the kitchen when her friends started to protest. She poked her head back into the room again and grinned, "No matter how frolicsome and gossip-worthy the details may be."

"Rachel!"


	8. Dice

**Chapter 7: Dice**

"You're looking remarkably chipper today," Puck slung his arm loosely over Quinn's shoulders and loped down the length of the hallway to the lecture hall where their first class of the day was to be held.

Quinn broke free of Puck's grip and turned to him, smiling mysteriously. She brushed her hair back and cocked her head onto one side.

"I'm alright," she conceded, trying not to let her friend's grin get to her. Puck had a way of smiling until he got what he wanted.

Puck shook his head and moved in front of Quinn, effectively blocking her way and avoiding gaze.

"What?" Quinn frowned when she tried to walk past Puck but the boy kept his stance in front of her.

"Nothing, just, you're being quiet and Ms. Avoidance." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began walking backwards while still facing Quinn.

Quinn rolled her eyes and pulled the strap of her bag up her shoulder. "I am not trying to avoid anyone. Quiet maybe – only because it's early in the morning and I've yet to summon up the energy for any rap sessions."

"Right," Puck nodded as they continued walking down the hallway. He was now walking normally by her side, and Quinn breathed a sigh of relief at not being in the line of sight of his grinning visage. He'd been pestering her for the past two days now. Always the same thing. Why was she smiling? Why was she so happy? Thankfully, neither him nor Santana had yet to see any of the morning paper's headlines, so she was in the clear from any severe interrogation. For now.

"Well, then, shan't we proceed to class now, eh? You never know," he added cheekily, "you might see that hottie who's making you blush since the tournament and be so mysterious."

"Hottie?" Quinn shook her head. "There is no hottie. Uh, nobody. No hottie, no way." She shifted her feet on the floor of the hallway.

"Sure," he nodded conspiratorially. "So when I ask you what's up and you say nothing, you mean nothing, right?" he winked at her.

Quinn sighed. "I really have no idea on what you're on about."

"Hey, what's up?" Brittany appeared in between the two of them, a bright smile plastered over her face. She hovered near Quinn, whose face crinkled into a frown as she looked between her two friends.

Grasping her messenger bag strap firmly, Quinn pulled herself up to her full height. Assuming her best haughty impression that she'd perfected after years of practicing, she clamped her lips together and gritted her teeth.

"Nothing. Is. Up!" she hissed at the two of them, turning and stalking away from them.

As they watched her figure retreat, Brittany turned to Puck, a mystified look painting her eyes dark. Holding up her hands in the air in surrender, she shook her head, mouthing a silent question to him. Puck merely shrugged and appeared none the wiser.

"Girl trouble," he said, by way of paltry explanation. "I surmise it's girl trouble. She always gets snippy when she likes someone."

* * *

Quinn managed to avoid Brittany and Puck all morning, including during their Aspects of Surrealism class when she blatantly cold-shouldered the two of them when they began hissing questions at her from behind their large text books. She frowned fiercely at them and managed to foil their attempts to pass her a note by promising to talk to them later. However, later turned into lunch break, by which time Quinn snuck away outside as soon as the bell rang.

Wandering into the pavilion, Quinn found herself a quiet spot that was shaded by the stone arches above. _I just want some time alone,_ she pleaded, eyeing the passing students with suspicion, in case any of them happened to be Puck-shaped or Brittany-esque.

As if dealing with those two weren't enough, she'd had to endure three deprecating phone calls from her father, Thomas, her publicist and personal representative, and lastly, from her grandmother. And right in the middle of the class, too. Russell had called in to check on his daughter's well-being before going into a full lecture about the rather expressive pictures taken from the charity event; Thomas basically relayed what Buckingham (in short, her grandmother) had thought of her supposed affiliation with Rachel.

_Rachel._ She sighed inwardly at the thought of the girl. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the myriad of negative energy around her. Finding her focus, she began picturing the brunette in her head, seeing her bright be-dimpled smile and imagining the way her nose crinkled adorably as she laughed.

She had been listening to "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" last night to pass the time and one track, for some reason, stood out from the rest. "I'm lost without you/Can't help myself/How does it feel/To know that I love u baby." Robin Thicke wasn't in her normal fare of music selections, but Quinn had heard the album at a friend's home a couple of months ago and had the album ever since. She had always found the song relaxing (and more than a tad stimulating), and now she liked it even more because she had someone to think about. With her eyes still closed, she briefly wondered what it would be like to hold, and even to kiss, Rachel. _She is probably very warm and likes to cuddle, and-_

_La la la la la la la la la la…_

Quinn sighed, slightly irritated at being disturbed from her Rachel-daydreaming. Opening her eyes and then rolling them, she unhurriedly pressed the 'Answer' button on her cell phone and answered the call with a bored, "Yes?"

She listened with mild interest to Thomas as he rattled on about Buckingham's plans of damage control regarding her Rachel situation. She mechanically threw in a "uh-huh" and a few "yes, I understands" every now and then and closed her eyes. Everybody was treating the whole press debacle as if it were the end of the world and she very nearly had enough of it.

_It's not like any of those tabloid dribble is true,_ she grumbled internally. Even if they were, she didn't see what the big deal was. So Rachel just happened to be part of the Hollywood crowd, it wasn't like she was involved with the mafia.

Despite of (or maybe because of) the situation she currently found herself in, Quinn wanted nothing more than to spend time with Rachel. To get to know her. To hear her voice and see her smile. To look into her eyes and suddenly feel safe. Quinn already knew so much about the brunette actress, and that excluded all the information the internet had gladly provided her about the other girl. She knew that Rachel was gentle and kind and compassionate, intelligent and funny and exuberant. She also knew that just being in the same room with Rachel made her feel like everything in her life was... right.

She couldn't explain it, but the uneasiness that had plagued Quinn all her life just fell away when Rachel was near. The insecurity, uncertainty, and cynicism that always haunted her simply disintegrated with just a look or a touch from the brunette actress. Rachel made Quinn feel better about being Quinn. Rachel made Quinn feel special and... loved.

_Loved? Loved!? Where are you getting this from, Fabray? Rachel is not in love with you. That's just silly. And even if she was, it wouldn't matter. It would be sweet and a big compliment that someone as special as Rachel was in love with you, but it wouldn't matter. It would be wondrous and amazing to have her... wait, wait, it doesn't matter. You only met her three days ago – three glorious days – and it would be insane and unheard of for someone like her to be in love with you. Besides, you heard your grandmother, she isn't even British or a monarch and you know the rules. And since when were you so concerned about those blasted rules anyway? And… Oh, dear Lord..._

Quinn groaned out loud. When had life suddenly gotten so complicated? And why was it that even though it was making her head spin, she really didn't mind the complication?

* * *

Rachel idly fixed the scarf around her neck as she checked her reflection in the hallway mirror. She and her friends had mostly spent the entire day in confinement as William and Emma tried to fend off the lust-hungry paparazzi and media stalking their every move and statement. She knew making the front page news and headlines (yet again) would draw some considerable amount of attention, but she never expected to be hounded to the point of being stuck indoors.

_I guess the British really love their royal scandals, _she mused.

It was now a little past six in the evening, and they had all been itching to go out and enjoy their last few hours in Scotland before heading back home. William finally gave in to their pleading and they had decided to catch a movie then maybe a quick nightcap after. To be on the safe side, however, William had insisted on Rachel taking both her bodyguards with her. At first she had protested, but then agreed so long as they remained inconspicuous and in the background. As for her dilemma at being recognized by the paparazzi, Rachel remedied the situation by dressing extra casual, pairing her favorite True Religion jeans with a plain, dark brown long-sleeved top and a bulky yet stylish winter coat. To top it off, she hid her signature chestnut tresses under an unassuming knit cap and wore her black-rimmed glasses she usually used on her downtime or at school.

"Kurt!" Rachel's voice echoed from the foyer. "Hurry up! We're gonna be late!"

Kurt came running down from upstairs. "Quit your squawking. I'm here, aren't I?"

Rachel sighed as Kurt checked his appearance once more in the mirror. She tugged on the boy's jacket sleeve and they walked out to their rented SUV where everyone else was waiting for them.

"Finally, I thought we'd have to wait several more decades just for his majesty to come down." Jesse remarked when the two climbed in the car.

"Can we just drive?" Kurt retorted. "Or do you want to be later than we already are?"

Jesse raised his hands up in surrender and started the car.

* * *

Meanwhile, Quinn had also dealt with the same lock-in situation when she arrived home that afternoon. Fortunately for her, her father had sent down a small army of his personal royal aides and they thankfully managed to get the crowd of media reporters and paparazzi under control in no time. And though Quinn was highly advised to stay inside the farmhouse for the meantime, she managed to convince and argue her way through her father to allow her and her friends a quick movie night out, bodyguards in tow of course. After all, she _had _made a promise to them prior all the press hijinks, and Quinn was never one to break her promises (or so she told Russell, when in truth she just wanted to get away from the media circus and spend a quiet and fun night out with her friends).

"So, is everybody ready?" Brittany asked as she put on her coat.

"Hold on just a bit," Puck replied from the hallway mirror as he applied more gel on his hair.

"You've been at that for over half an hour now," Brittany rolled her eyes. "Your hair's fine."

"Yeah, Puck," Quinn sauntered into the hallway. "And it's not as if we're going out to pick up girls at clubs. We're just going to the cinema," she teased her flat mate as she put her coat on. She shook her head when Puck didn't even budge from the mirror, and joined Brittany outside the door.

"Aren't you coming?" Brittany waited impatiently as Quinn held the door open.

"Just a moment." Puck made final brushes and sweeps at his hair and nodded in approval at his own reflection. "All right, let's go then."

"Finally," Brittany said as they walked outside to where an impatient-looking Santana was waiting for them in her car. "You know, sometimes I can't believe how you men seem more bothered about your looks than most women I know are."

"Puckerman spent nearly an hour in front of the mirror grooming himself again?" Santana stated more than asked as she started her car.

"What?" Puck gave both of them an unknowing look and climbed into the back seat with Brittany. "So I'd prefer it if the ladies don't think I look like a haggard, big deal."

"Oh please. Even if we were going out to the cemetery you'd still fuss over your hair. As if there's much of it to begin with," Quinn teased, thoroughly enjoying the reddening of their friend's cheeks. It was a very rare occasion that they managed to embarrass the boy.

"Yeah, thank God you finally grew out that horrendous Mohawk you called a hairstyle," Santana smirked when Puck glared at her through the rearview mirror.

"Whatever," he mumbled, feeling completely outnumbered. The girls laughed as Santana finally drove them off to the multiplex.

* * *

"So, what do you guys wanna watch?" Tina asked as they entered the multiplex.

"Hmm, how about Sherlock Holmes?" Mercedes said as they looked over the screening schedules.

"Sherlock Holmes? Cedes, you've seen that movie like, half a dozen times now. Don't you get bored?" Rachel asked.

"How can one NOT want to see Jude Law AND Robert Downey Jr. all sweaty and with a sexy foreign accent?" Mercedes asked incredulously.

"Well, you do have a point there." Rachel agreed, nodding her head thoughtfully.

"And Rachel McAdams is hot!" Jesse chimed in.

"Yeah, that's definitely one Canuck I wouldn'tturn down," Sam added.

"I hate to say this, but I have to agree." Kurt said and received questioning looks from his friends. "What? The woman _is _hot. And fabulous. And God, I wish I had her complexion."

"So, I take it we're watching Sherlock Holmes?" Rachel said as they stood in front of the Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows poster.

"I don't know, I heard We Bought A Zoo is great," Tina contemplated.

"Boring!" Jesse groaned loudly.

"Well, what about MI4? Jeremy Renner is in it, and ladies, that man is beyond scorching!" Mercedes said excitedly and started fanning herself.

"There's also Iron Lady," Rachel said as she scanned the 'Now Showing' list. Her eyes widened when a particular title caught her attention. "Oh my God, they have The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo showing!"

"Oh, yeah, I've been waiting for months to see that!" Sam said excitedly, sharing Rachel's enthusiasm. He and Rachel were both huge fans of David Fincher and Stieg Larsson's Millennium series trilogy. In fact, Rachel had toyed with the idea of taking on the role of Lisbeth Salander but ultimately backed out due to the intensely graphic nature of the script (Rachel just couldn't bring herself to forgo her no nudity rule, no matter the juiciness of the role).

"So, which is it gonna be?" Mercedes asked, checking her watch. "Will it be solving mysteries with Sherlock Holmes? A feel good family dramedy? Or a thrilling crime investigation?"

"Sherlock Hol–"

"We Bought A-"

"Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

Everyone said at the same time. Mercedes clapped her hands and shushed everyone. "All right, all right! Why don't we vote?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, who's up for Sherlock Holmes?"

Kurt and Jesse raised their hands.

"We Bought A Zoo?"

One hand shot up. "Seriously?" Tina whined.

"Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?"

Rachel and Sam simultaneously raised their hands. Everybody looked at Mercedes for a final tally. Shrugging, she nodded and cast her vote for the latter.

Tina rolled her eyes and caved in. "All right, fine. It seems like an interesting movie anyway."

"So, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo it is then," Rachel clapped happily, pleased that at least something was going _her _way that day.

* * *

As they waited in line for their tickets, Puck continued begging and whining for them to watch anything but New Year's Eve.

"Oh, come on girls," Puck pleaded. "Just this once, can't I pick a movie that I'll actually enjoy?"

"What? I thought you loved The Holiday the last time we watched?" Santana asked, a bit irked at Puck's incessant whining.

"Well, yes, but that was different," Puck pouted.

"How could that be any different from New Year's Eve?" Quinn said, finding no obvious difference between the two films; they were both chick flicks, plain and simple.

"Five words: Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz." Puck shook his head and sighed. "Those women are goddesses."

"Uh-huh, yeah," Quinn said and moved up the line. She raised a challenging eyebrow at him. "And this movie has Jessica Biel, Halle Berry, Katherine Heigl, and Sofia Vergara. So please tell me where your issue lies exactly?"

Puck crossed his arms over his chest and blew a breath out petulantly. How was he going to convince his three friends that watching a bloody holiday vignette about romance is not exactly the most thrilling way to enjoying a night out at the movies, especially for a red-blooded male like himself? Yeah, it starred some of Hollywood's hottest women, but it still wasn't enough of an incentive.

_At least The Holiday had a decent enough storyline and was actually entertaining. _Puck internally groused his disapproval. _ Enduring almost two hours of overstuffed confection that seems designed more to maximise product placement? No thank you!_

He looked over to the other line that lead to Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He sighed as a group of four girls giggled and chattered as they stood in the relatively short queue. Even _those _girls knew better than to be bored to death by overpaid actors trying hard to be romantic and cheesy. He turned to Santana, Brittany and Quinn who were busy going on about the hotness – _more like cockiness,_ he internally grumbled – of Ashton Kutcher and other girlish jabber in their own little world.

_God, I really need to find more male friends_. He let out a sigh and glanced back at the group of girls. One of them in particular caught her eye. _Isn't that? No, it couldn't be…could it?_ He tapped on Quinn's shoulder and asked out loud: "Call me crazy, but isn't that Rachel Berry in the next line?"

Quinn's heartbeat doubled as she turned to where Puck was pointing. And low and behold, there was Rachel, standing mere meters away from her. "Rachel," she whispered.

As if on cue, Rachel turned her head to Quinn's direction and gasped in surprise. "Quinn!" She said abruptly, interrupting whatever it was Kurt was talking about.

"Huh?" Kurt asked in confusion. He, along with Tina and Mercedes, turned to Rachel's line of vision and saw a blushing blonde girl smiling coyly at them.

"Oh. My. God." Kurt gaped, unable to believe what he saw.

"Isn't that Princess Quinn?" Tina asked.

Mercedes and Kurt nodded in dumb silence. Tina turned to Rachel. "Is she smiling at us?"

Rachel was at a loss of words herself. She couldn't believe it. "Uh, what?" she asked, snapping out of her trance.

"Nothing," Tina smirked and nodded towards Quinn. "Say, here's a crazy idea. Why don't we go over there and you introduce us to her royal highness since you two seem to be so chummy?"

"Yeah," Mercedes and Kurt nodded enthusiastically.

Rachel's eyes grew and she shook her head frantically, "Uh, no, I mean, she may be here with her friends and she may not want to be disturbed and…"

"Ah, so the rumors ARE true," Tina teased.

"What? No, no! We… Quinn and I are _so_ not…" Rachel sighed in defeat. "Oh, all right. If that's what it takes to prove that there most definitely is _nothing_ going on between her and I…" She turned to wave at Quinn and walked towards her and Puck, followed closely behind by a squealing Mercedes, Tina and Kurt.

"Oh my God, Quinn, that is her!" Puck exclaimed excitedly. "And she's coming over here!"

"What? Who's coming over here?" Santana asked.

"Rachel Berry!" Puck yelped.

"Rachel Berry is here? What? Where?" Brittany panicked having caught on to the tail end of the conversation.

At the moment, Quinn could have cared less if the stalkarazzi had been trailing behind them. Right then, her train of thought went like this: _Rachel's here. And she's looking as beautiful as usual. Thank God for whoever invented skinny denim jeans! She's smiling at me! Now she's waving…and walking. Walking towards me. Oh my God, Rachel's walking towards me! Do something, you idiot!_

Rachel bit her lip and smiled nervously as they neared Quinn and her friends. "Hey," she said shyly.

"Hi," Quinn said, snapping out of her inner Rachel-inflicted turmoil. "Uh, fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah, I know." Rachel giggled and Quinn gave her signature coy grin in reply. _Did my heart just flutter?_ she wondered, her eyes slightly widening.

_God, I love hearing her laugh._ Quinn broke her gaze from Rachel when she felt a nudge on her side followed by an _ahem_.

"Oh, these are my friends, uh, Brittany, Santana and Puck." Quinn introduced her three keen comrades. "This is uh, Rachel."

"Hi! Yeah, I mean, I know. You're like the greatest ever…I mean, acting wise. And fashion. And I love your movies." Brittany spit out.

Puck and Santana just stood there with their mouth agape as Rachel shook their hands.

"You'll have to excuse my friends here," Quinn nudged the still stoic duo. "It's not everyday they get to meet celebrities. They get quite star stuck when they do," she apologized to Rachel.

"No, it's fine," Rachel laughed. "And, uh, you can call me Rach." She turned to her own friends and introduced them. "These are my friends Kurt, Tina and Mercedes. Guys, this is Quinn."

"Pleasure to meet you," Quinn said as she shook each of their hands.

"Same here, your highness," Mercedes said dumbstruck.

"Please, call me Quinn," the royal offered. It was then followed by a strained silence.

"Okay," Tina said, trying to break the ice. "Rach, we'll let you and Quinn catch up. We'll just be over there getting our tickets."

Wide-eyed, Rachel gave Tina a pleading look and shook her head.

"You're watching Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?" Puck asked.

"Uh, yeah," Rachel's head snapped back after giving her friends the evil eye. "Well, Kurt and Jesse – my other friend, you know, from the tournament," Rachel smiled as Quinn gave her a sheepish grin, "they wanted to watch Sherlock Holmes. Meanwhile, Tina wanted to watch We Bought A Zoo, and Sam and I – he's another friend – wanted to see Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," she explained. "We finally decided on a voting tally and well, we won with three of the majority votes," she laughed. "The guys are at the concession stand getting us some food while us girls have the set responsibility of acquiring our tickets."

"Oh! See, why can't we go and watch what they're watching?" Puck whined.

"Oh, why, what are you going to watch?" Rachel asked curiously.

"New Year's Eve," Puck said with a huff.

"Um, actually, we were just talking and decided that it would be more entertaining to watch a crime thriller instead of a drab romantic comedy ensemble," Quinn said without another thought. If watching a two-and-a-half hour crime action movie would mean being able to spend time with Rachel, then so be it. Plus, she'd heard the film was actually really good so it was a win-win situation.

"What?" Santana exclaimed. "But I thought -?"

"Oh, thank God!" Puck exhaled in relief and proceeded to hug the life out of Quinn.

Rachel eyed them carefully, curious as to why Puck was the only guy out with Quinn and her other girl friends. She frowned when she saw Puck place a not-so-chaste kiss on Quinn's cheek. Was he her boyfriend?

Quinn smiled sheepishly at her flat mate's burst of enthusiasm and shrugged at Rachel's curious glance. Puck let go of Quinn and rushed over to the next line to join Rachel's friends. Brittany merely shrugged, while Santana sighed, and they both followed Puck.

"You owe me big for this one, Fabray," Santana whispered to Quinn.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at Quinn in silent question.

"It was a matter of time we gave Puck a break anyway." She shrugged as she and Rachel turned to join the others. "And besides, I am genuinely curious as to how Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara solve the investigation."

"Right," Rachel nodded slowly in disbelief.

* * *

Once they were inside the theater, they found ten empty seats in the back, three at the front and five in the middle of the other two. Kurt, Mercedes and Tina dove for the ones in the middle and dragged Brittany, who in turn dragged Santana, along with them. The boys went ahead and took up the fronting three. Which left the two back seats to Quinn and Rachel. Rachel sighed at her friends' antics as she and Quinn took their seats.

During the movie, Rachel would whisper some witty things into Quinn's ear, without the intent of making her any more uncomfortable as she already was. Every so often, Rachel would catch a glance from Tina who smirked evilly at them.

Quinn on the other hand, tried to fight the urge to hold Rachel's hand. Or to turn her head in Rachel's direction just as the other girl was going to whisper and press their lips together. God, how she wanted to feel those beautiful full lips pressed against her own.

Rachel glanced at Quinn and saw that she was actually enjoying the film about as much as she was. She turned her attention back to the movie and smiled.

They sat in silence in the darkness, merely enjoying one another's company, all the while wondering what else the night would bring to their, what? Friendship? Did they even have some kind of relationship akin to that? Whatever it was they had, they let go of trying to decipher it for the time being and just enjoyed the movie.

When the movie ended, Quinn popped out of her seat first, and held out her hand to help Rachel up. Rachel smiled at the blonde's gesture and accepted her proffered hand. Her fingers met Quinn's, digits interlocking together, creating a perfect fit. They shared a mutual sigh, and smiled shyly at each other.

Tina, Kurt, Mercedes, Puck and Brittany came out grinning, talking about the best parts of the movie like they were old friends while Santana situated herself between Jesse and Sam as she blatantly flirted with them. Rachel and Quinn merely walked behind them in silence.

"You'd think they knew one another since grade school," Rachel whispered to Quinn.

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep her stomach from doing multiple back flips as Rachel's warm breath caressed her neck. "I know," she replied in a low murmur.

Rachel rolled her eyes at their friends and they both laughed.

"What's so funny?" Kurt asked and slowed his steps and walked alongside the brunette and Quinn.

"Nothing, just, nothing," Rachel smiled sweetly. Quinn held back a giggle when Kurt raised an eyebrow and eyed them suspiciously.

Kurt shook his head and decided it would be best, and more polite, to grill his friend once they got home.

"Well, I guess this is where we say our goodnights," Tina said once they were outside the multiplex.

"Unless, of course, you ladies would like to join us for some coffee?" Puck offered. "I know it's a bit late, it being ten o'clock and all, but we are reasonably young."

"I don't know," Kurt smiled and turned to Rachel. "Rach? What do you think?"

"Um, well," Rachel checked her watch. "I guess a little caffeine will do nobody any harm. What about you guys, are you up to it?" she asked Jesse and Sam, who both nodded their reply enthusiastically. "I guess it's a go then. Where were you going to head to?"

"Oh, the Coffee Shop. It's not that far from here," Puck pointed to the street corner a few blocks down as they continued walking.

With that, they proceeded to the coffee-shop-slash-mini-bistro. When they got there, Rachel smiled and took in the soft ambiance lent by the familiar café. It was cozy, the kind of laid-back place where no one bothers you if you nurse a cappuccino for, say, three hours, so it was no surprise that it was popular with students at St. Andrews University. And it was also one of the reasons why Rachel had sought refuge from the pouring rain there almost a week ago.

_Who would've thought I'd bump into a famous royal here?_ Rachel mused at the memory of her first meeting with the blonde princess.

Rachel smiled again when she noticed the familiar welcoming quietness. Soft, ambient folk music floated out of speakers installed in all corners. There were a number of couches and armchairs and coffee tables, some filled with people clutching at oversized cups of drink, and glasses, other seats empty. Rachel breathed in the aroma of brewed coffee and sighed. It reminded her of home – the café she and her friends also hung out at or for study group sessions and in-between class hours just to pass the time away. One more reason why she'd chosen that place to while the minutes away as the rain had begun to subside.

"Nice," Tina whispered in appreciation. "Kinda reminds you of home, huh?"

Rachel smiled and followed Brittany and Puck as they led the way to a corner table. They sat down for awhile, just chatting, before a waiter got their orders. The newly formed friends laughed constantly as they quickly got to know each other. Not intimately, for one evening was not enough to trust your personal life to someone (especially if you're the future heir to the throne or a world-renowned Hollywood actress), but just the basic stuff like name, birth date, family, pets, hobbies, dislikes; and the list well, it just goes on…not too far though.

"So she was like 'BOOM!' and I fell flat on my butt. It was so embarrassing!" Rachel exclaimed, dramatizing her story to the howls of laughter at their table. "I'm serious! I was blushing so much I probably looked like a ripe tomato."

"If you think that's embarrassing, wait till you hear the one where she fell at the-" Tina was cut off by Rachel's hand covering her mouth.

"Don't even go there!" Rachel threatened playfully.

"What? When she fell where?" Santana asked eagerly.

"Oh, fine. It's bound to show up in an article in People Magazine anyway," Rachel huffed. "We're at school and we were all lined up to go inside the audio-visual room, right? I had to go to the bathroom, and so naturally after dragging Tina with me, we were the last to go in. We were in such a hurry that I didn't see this bump on the floor and – stop snickering – of course, me being the clumsy klutz that I am, tripped and fell forward head on." Rachel blushed at everyone's laughter and shook her head. "And you want to know the worst part?"

"Oh God, there's a 'worst part'?" Brittany asked in-between fits of giggles.

"Oh yeah," Rachel replied and rolled her eyes in chagrin. "There were these really cute seniors up the hallway a few feet away and they saw the entire spill! It was so humiliating!" Everyone roared in laughter again.

"Oh God, I need to use the bathroom," Kurt winced. "All this caffeine and the constant laughing are doing warfare with my bladder."

"Oh, I'll show you where the loo is," Santana offered.

"Loo?" Kurt, Mercedes and Tina asked in unison.

"The bathroom," Brittany explained with a smile. "Now that you mentioned it, I do need to go myself."

"Yeah, me too." Mercedes added.

"Me three," Tina chimed in. "Rach?"

"No, I'm fine. I've got a strong bladder going. It'll take at least an hour or so for the need to go to the ladies' room to hit," Rachel replied.

With that, the girls excused themselves and headed for the bathroom. Sam got up as well for the very same reasons while Jesse and Puck excused themselves to go order some food.

"You two be good while we're gone, you hear?" Puck teased. Rachel laughed when Quinn rolled her eyes and playfully shooed him away.

"So, I guess it's just you and me. Again." Rachel remarked when Puck left.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing," Quinn pretended to be insulted. Rachel laughed and Quinn smiled, loving the quiet moment they were given. "So, any more wacky recollections you'd like to share?"

"Hmm, well I do have a crazy fan story for you," Rachel started, while Quinn took a sip from her mug. "This guy named Peter Douglas started writing me letters a few years ago saying how watching my movies helped him get well when he was sick. I started to feel really good about it until he said he only had the flu instead of something serious."

"That's nothing," Quinn said, placing her mug back on the table, "While I was at Benenden, this girl who said her name was Taylor Joseph somehow got my phone number and kept calling me in the middle of the night to ask me out. I changed my number, but she got it again. She liked to wake me up so she can tell me how hot she thinks I am. Can you believe that?"

"Does she still call you?" Rachel asked in an amused tone while inwardly she was doing a victory dance and thinking, thank God I'm not the only one batting for the same team.

"Thank heavens no, not anymore," Quinn chuckled. "I suppose she finally left me alone after I turned her number over to the authorities."

"Law enforcement can do that to you," Rachel said wisely, though not seriously. After a moment's silence she and Quinn both burst into laughter.

"So, I'm beginning to think this is becoming a regular thing. You and me fortuitously bumping into each other?" Rachel teased. "If I didn't know any better, I would think I have a stalker."

"Well, don't flatter yourself too much," Quinn retorted playfully. "After all, I am the future queen of England. Maybe _you're_ the one stalking _me_."

"As if!" Rachel threw a piece of French fry at her and they both laughed again.

There was a brief moment of silence as they caught each other's eyes. Rachel looked down and bit her bottom lip, as Quinn also ducked her head down.

_Say something! Ask her out on a date!_ Quinn chided herself. She was brought out of her contemplation by a soft giggle. She glanced up at Rachel and was rewarded with the brunette's shy half smile. The two friends – yes, that's what they were, both deduced – reveled in each other's company as a light blush painted both of their faces.

"We're back!" Kurt announced gleefully. He looked at Rachel and Quinn and crinkled his nose. "Why are you staring at each other? Is this some sort of celebrity thing?"

Rachel pried her eyes from Quinn's and glared at Kurt. "We were just, uhm," she began, but soon found that she really didn't know what they were doing.

"Staring at each other, yes, I saw," Kurt finished Rachel's sentence. He smirked when the brunette started to blush brightly. Oh, how much he loved tormenting the actress!

"So, anything exciting happened while we were gone?" Tina asked innocently, joining them at the table, followed by Santana, Brittany and Mercedes who in turn also gave them questioning looks.

Quinn felt the tension and came up with an excuse to ease it. "Umm, will you ladies excuse me? I, uh, need to go to the bathroom."

"Woo, mind telling me what was all that about?" Kurt mocked quietly nudging Rachel's arm after Quinn was gone. Tina grinned knowingly and eyed Rachel as well.

"It was nothing, Kurt." Rachel smiled sheepishly while looking down at her hands on the table.

"Yeah, right, and I was born yesterday," Kurt said sarcastically. He looked over to Tina and they both smirked cannily. Santana and Brittany just smiled cryptically, filing their newly found information away for later.

* * *

"I think she liked you…" Tina said lowly as they walked up to the front door of their rented house.

"What are you talking about? Quinn and I are just friends," Rachel said trying to convince her best friend that not even a tiny little atom of romantic chemistry had happened between her and the other girl, but she knew Tina well enough to be sure that she just wouldn't let go of the topic.

"Oh, really? Why did she give you her phone number and also asked for yours then?" Tina folded her arms over her chest giving her a smart look.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe she was just being friendly and wanted to keep in touch?" Rachel snapped back with a smile.

Tina sighed and shook her head rolling her eyes, "Whatever, Rach. Whatever."

* * *

As Quinn drove home that night with her own set of friends, she marveled at what a wonderful time she'd had with Rachel. She couldn't remember the last time she'd just hung out with such an intelligent, beautiful woman, granted she practically spent the past three days with her doing just that: talking and hanging out. She was still thinking about the other girl an hour later when she finally laid down to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she decided that Rachel was out of her league.

_A girl like her would never be interested in someone like me. No matter how many things we have in common._

Quinn felt that the brunette was just too good to be true, especially for her. So she sighed, and chalked it up as another ambition beyond her reach, princess or no princess. Her last conscious thought was that she would not ask Rachel out and risk ruining what would and could be a great friendship.


	9. Stupid For You

**A.N.**: one more chapter! Although this bit's a lot shorter compared to the last ones posted. Again, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! To those who asked if this story is already completed since I update so frequently: it is partially completed but like I said, I'm still doing a lot of tweaking for everything to better suit Faberry. Updates for the next few chapters will still be frequent though (I'll try and post the next one within the day). For now, hope you continue to enjoy!

**A.N. 2**: oh, and I've pictured Francis (the male and younger version of Franny Fabray) as Freddie Stroma. Just a little visual to give everyone.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Stupid For You**

Keeping her relationship with Rachel strictly platonic turned out to be the best decision Quinn could have made. She didn't feel obligated to try and impress her, or seduce her, or put on some façade. Rachel got to see the real her without any of the normal smoke and mirrors Quinn put out for other women. As a result, a friendship blossomed quickly between them, even though it took a little nudging in the right direction to get the ball rolling again.

It was precisely one month after their initial meeting that Quinn finally had the guts to call Rachel up (in the brunette's defense, she had been too engrossed in her current movie project that she barely had any time to think – let alone _worry _– about anything else). After skirting around the issue for weeks on end, the young royal decided finally on Valentine's Day to make her move.

Her nerves had been on overdrive the entire morning; during her Archaic Greece lecture, instead of paying attention to her professor, she was busily composing what she'd say to the other girl. Fifteen pages and nearly twice as many rewrites later, she finally finished what she thought was a good enough outline of dialogues to exchange with the brunette. Of course when the time did come, she found herself a near-stuttering mess, and her perfectly detailed transcript completely threw itself out of the window.

After about thirty minutes of searching, Quinn finally found the perfect spot south of the main library to relay her call. Glancing around to make sure she was completely alone, she pressed down on Rachel's designated speed dial and waited with baited breath for the other girl to pick up. It rang once, then twice, before Quinn lost her nerve and quickly hung up. She paced around the corner of the neatly trimmed garden for a few seconds trying to gather herself before making attempt number two. After the fourth ring, Quinn checked her watch to make sure she wasn't intruding on anything Rachel might have been in the middle of – it was now a little half past twelve, which meant it was nearly 10PM or so in Sydney. She knew the brunette didn't have any night shoots for the week but was still a self-confessed night owl so she was sure Rachel would still be up and was probably reviewing her script or something. Unless, of course, she was out on a late Valentine's Day dinner date and hadn't gone home yet. Bollocks, why didn't she think of _that _earlier? She was in the middle of one of her you're-such-an-idiot-Rachel-would-never-be-interes ted-and-has-probably-completely-forgotten-about-yo u tirades when she heard a faint "hello?" pick up on the other line.

It took her several seconds to find her voice, and she nearly didn't even speak at all, until Rachel threatened whoever was calling her that she'd contact the police and have them track her down and arrested. To say that Rachel was surprised to find it was Quinn calling her, and at that hour, was putting it mildly.

Quinn barely held back the wide grin threatening to break her face in half as she listened to the brunette exclaim her delight at hearing from the other girl. After getting the mild pleasantries out of the way, they spent over a good hour and a half talking about nothing and everything. When Quinn finally noticed the growing lateness of the hour, she (very) reluctantly told Rachel that she had to get going, if only for the benefit of the other girl, since it was probably almost twelve in the morning where Rachel was and Quinn didn't want to keep the brunette up any later, not to mention she herself also had a class to go to (although, truth be told, she'd willingly blow off all her classes for the chance to be able to talk to the other girl).

Quinn recalled fondly how, just before they said their goodbyes, Rachel softly bid her a happy Valentine's Day. Surprise and overwhelming warmth cloaked her, and after a moment's silence, she returned the brunette's greeting with one of her own.

After that, it was nothing but smooth sailing ahead, and over the next five weeks, Rachel had become Quinn's closest friend. They talked everyday, either by e-mail or on the phone, making it a daily (or nightly, in Rachel's case) ritual to keep the other updated on their respective lives. They complimented one another perfectly and always had a great time, even if it was just talking. Even when they disagreed on something, the arguments were good-natured and nobody walked away angry.

Rachel became her confidante – when anything went wrong, she was the first person Quinn turned to. If she had problems with school, or girls, or just life in general, she'd ask her advice, and she was always there for her no matter how hectic her schedule was. They got to know everything about one another.

She learned how Rachel sometimes hated the media attention and public scrutiny so much that she just wanted to up and leave the entertainment world behind altogether, despite of her love for acting. She also learned that Rachel wanted to do so much more than that, that the other girl wanted to be able to write and maybe perhaps direct and produce her own movie someday. And when the topic of their love life came up, Rachel merely scoffed at several of the press's news and gossip regarding who was and who wasn't her latest love interest for the week.

Rachel had revealed to her that she had never even fallen in love yet, and that while she couldn't wait to, she was scared beyond belief at the thought of giving her heart away completely to someone and trust them not to break it. Quinn merely nodded at the idea and agreed wholeheartedly, saying that being in love was for fools and finding that special someone that would complete your entire being was probably a near impossible feat. She told Rachel this with morose conviction in her voice, feeling every time like such a fool herself seeing as she was sure beyond immeasurable doubt that she was quickly falling (if not had _already_ fallen) for Rachel.

Shoving those feelings aside, Quinn kept up appearances with the other girl rather successfully, fielding Rachel's questions about her current dating status and jokingly asking if she had found 'the one' yet by relaying the British media's latest attempts at pinpointing who her newest love interest was and scoffing at how wrong and out of tune they were. On several occasions, she found herself fighting to restrain from yelling out loud, "It's you Rachel! It'll always be you! Why can't you see that?"

Fast-forward to the here and now. Here was Switzerland – Klosters to be exact – and the now was the royal family's annual Swiss ski trip and spring photo op.

"I really wish you could be here," Quinn told Rachel over the phone as she balanced it in-between her right shoulder and ear. She fumbled a bit with her boot's shoelace but smiled at Rachel's "Me, too," reply. She was getting herself ready to head down to the main skiing lodge where several members of the local and international press as well as dozens of photogs gathered in anticipation of their arrival – them being herself, her father, and her brother Francis.

She and Rachel kept up their conversation until she finally arrived at the lodge. "Time to enter the lion's den," she muttered evenly into her phone. She was never one for these things, but her family's little arrangement with the press offered them a bit more privacy everywhere else, so spending an hour or two posing for the cameras and answering the press's questions every now and then was really a small price to pay.

She smiled at Rachel's throaty chuckle and promised the other girl to give her a ring later on before hanging up. Taking a deep breath in, she steadied herself and went to join Francis and her father as they prepared to get on with the program.

_Here we go._

* * *

Rachel fluffed up her pillows, settling against them comfortably as she tucked herself in to catch the latest episode of The Tonight Show. She watched in amusement and laughed along with the audience as Jay Leno made a particularly hilarious jab at the latest political scandal in the States. Watching Leno and Conan O'Brien was a nightly ritual of hers, along with late night phone calls with a certain Quinn Fabray. Smiling at the thought of the blonde, Rachel couldn't believe how close they had gotten over the last couple of weeks.

She had been meaning to ring the other girl up soon after they had exchanged numbers back in Scotland, but as soon as she got to her next shoot in Sydney she got completely caught up in a whirlwind of filming not to mention trying to evade the prying eyes of the paparazzi in the aftermath of her and Quinn's 'relationship' being thrust into the media limelight, and thus found very little time to even contemplate about contacting the blonde. Which was why she was more than a little surprised - and relieved - to hear from the other girl a month later - on Valentine's Day no less.

They had talked about everything and nothing. Quinn had confessed how nervous she was at calling her, thinking that maybe she'd already gone to bed or that she was in the middle of something, or worse, that she had already completely forgotten about the blonde. _Me, forget about her? Impossible! _Rachel had scoffed at the idea. Quinn was on her mind day and night, but unfortunately whenever she thought of calling the other girl, something would come up and that plan would get pushed back and take a backseat in her mind.

After their nearly two-hour talk, each girl had promised to give the other a call some time again soon. Figuring the next day wasn't too soon for another ring, Rachel beat the blonde to the punch and had called her just as Quinn was preparing to dial her number. Rachel smiled at the memory; Quinn had sounded so surprised yet happy and amused at the same time and had even teased her about missing her already and reading her mind and how maybe Rachel had a wire tapped to her phone to figure out the exact moment she was just about to call the other girl.

Fast-forward five weeks later and they had become nearly inseparable (by phone and e-mail at least). Rachel could never go to bed without talking to Quinn beforehand, and Quinn had confessed that _she _could never get to bed either without hearing from the brunette. They were so much like a couple already that it scared Rachel near-shitless to think that she could ever not get enough of any one person. And over such a short period of time, too.

Even in her last serious relationship, Rachel never craved her boyfriend as much as she did Quinn, and they weren't even dating yet. Sure, they flirted from time to time, but was there in fact any more to their friendship? That, Rachel didn't know nor have any answers to. All she knew was that she enjoyed talking with Quinn and felt incredibly at ease exchanging every little thing about herself – including her deepest and darkest (and occasionally very embarrassing) fears. And in return, Quinn had trusted her with everything as well.

She had learned of how Quinn coped when her parents divorced when she was twelve and how she dealt with her mother's death the subsequent year after. She'd only had one serious relationship, a puppy love to be exact, in contrast to the media's constant speculation over the number of loves in her life. And as she put it on a recurring conversation they had over the phone: "The damn media always seem to label every guy or girl I go out with as my new 'beau' or 'belle'. Little do they know how dull and black and white my love life really is."

Rachel would usually just laugh with Quinn on this, but lately she would notice the growing uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever the topic of their romantic dalliances would come up. Or how she always found herself being forlorn whenever the blonde would whine about not finding the right girl. Rachel had thought this over, and if she were really honest with herself, all these signs pointed to one thing: she had developed a bit of a crush on the blonde.

But who wouldn't, right? _It's Quinn Fabray, _she justified. Quinn Fabray who was the epitome of everyone's dream girl. She was sweet, intelligent and very articulate (she was one of very few people who actually kept up with Rachel when they bantered). Not to mention beautiful. Those piercing hazel eyes alone could melt anyone into a puddle. And those pillowy lips that were entirely too kissable… the utterly adorable shy grin those rose pink fleshes would curve into when…

_Stop it! Now is not the time for you to be having inappropriate thoughts about someone you consider as your best friend!_

Quickly snapping out of her thoughts, Rachel hurriedly changed channels and switched to SkyNews when the time on her bedside clock caught her eye. Leno could wait; Quinn, on the other hand, could not. She sat up and leaned forward with her arms on her lap as the newscasters introduced a segment on the royal family's ski excursion in Klosters. Her heart sped up a little and she smiled widely when Quinn's smiling face flashed across the screen. _God, she's so beautiful._ She watched as the blonde's eyes twinkled in delight as she threw her head back and laughed, the green in the hazel sparkling that much brighter under the sun's rays like brilliant emeralds. She listened intently as Quinn answered the press's questions, and laughed when Francis gave his sister a headlock and ruffled her hair lovingly. Even with her hair mussed-up, Quinn was still beyond gorgeous, especially when she turned to give Francis a mildly irritated pout followed by a punch to his shoulder.

The stage-managed photo session on the slopes was sort of a bargain chip in return for being left alone when they go skiing in Klosters in the spring, Quinn had informed her. And while the blonde wasn't exactly the biggest fan of such arrangements, she knew it was a necessary clause in her and her family's relationship with the media and was glad that in exchange, the press left her alone for the rest of the year, especially when she was at university.

"Oh, God, no…I'm too young to get married! I'm only 20 for God's sake." Rachel watched in mild amusement as Quinn fielded a reporter's question about whether or not marriage was in her sight in the near future. "I am definitely too young to get married. I haven't even found any prospective…partners yet." Rachel bit her lip as she watched Quinn blush and duck down before adding, "I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30."

The segment then went on with showing footage of the royal trio laughing and joking with reporters and photographers followed by of Quinn and Francis skiing up and down the slopes with their friends. Rachel laughed when they showed one particular shot of Quinn being pushed by her brother as they raced down the hill, remembering the text the blonde had sent her earlier about how the younger Fabray was being such a "cheating sour puss" during a particular race down the hill they were having. The text was shortly followed by an MMS of Francis flat on his back looking completely disheveled with his head covered entirely by snow, which was presumably delivered by the other girl in consequence of his earlier roughhousing with his sister. Grinning widely as she thought of the picture, Rachel reached across the bed to fetch her phone, and as if on cue, it chimed with her Quinn's ringtone indicating that the blonde was calling her. Her grin turned into a full blown smile as she regarded the time on the clock. 11PM on the dot. Right on time.

"Hey there, superstar," Rachel smiled into the speaker. She felt herself relaxing and settled back against her pillows as she listened to Quinn's tired yet pleased voice on the other line.

"You have no idea how glad I am to finally be able to talk to someone outside of my family who's my age," the blonde joked with a cheery chuckle.

"Gee, I missed you too, Quinn," Rachel retorted, rolling her eyes. She smiled stupidly when Quinn replied with an, "Aaww, I knew you couldn't get enough of me!" to which she fired back with, "in your dreams, Fabray!"

She was, however, trumped when the blonde threw back coupled with an all too enticingly sexy purr, "Oh, you have no idea, Berry," and Rachel found herself blushing bright red at the sexual undercurrents in that little statement The brunette was near-faint as several decidedly unfriendly thoughts crossed her mind as to just what those dreams could possibly contain (and entail).

"Rachel, are you still there?" Quinn asked after the line was filled with a silent pause. Recovering and pulling herself out of her daydreaming, Rachel cleared her throat and managed to squeak out a yes, to which Quinn laughed heartily at and teased the brunette of having 'naughty thoughts'. _You have no idea_, Rachel felt herself blushing hotly again.

After another few minutes of banter, they proceeded on telling each other about their day and how it had gone. Rachel told Quinn about just seeing the news coverage of her and her family's skiing trip and Quinn merely rolled her eyes before moving on to complain about how much of an "arse" Francis was being throughout the entire interview. They made idle chitchat for the next twenty minutes or so before Rachel heard a voice in the background telling the blonde that they had to go.

"Alas, my public awaits me," Quinn murmured into the phone with a disappointed sigh which was faintly mirrored by Rachel. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Same bat-time, same bat-place," Rachel joked and Quinn laughed. "It's a date then," the blonde giggled back and Rachel felt her stomach flutter. _Stop it!_ she chastised herself, certain that this friendly little flirting they had going was going to be the death of her.

There was a pause, an interminable silence, as both girls merely basked in the other's presence. And after what seemed like an eternity but at the same time, not nearly long enough, Quinn finally bid Rachel a quiet yet sweet goodbye and the brunette found herself almost melting at the tenderness it relayed. Goodbyes certainly never sounded as sweet as they did when Quinn gave them.

_Damn you, Fabray._ Rachel threw herself against her bed after ending their phone call and let out a long sigh, releasing the breath she didn't know she had been holding onto for most of her conversation with the blonde. She frowned when she realized how much she was acting like such a giddy teenager in love for the very first time, which really wasn't that far from the truth. _Oh, you've got it bad, Berry. _

Letting out another long sigh, Rachel's eyes came across a framed photo of her and Quinn on her bedside table sitting among the many other pictures of her friends and family.

She reached across the short expanse of her bed and retrieved the frame. She smiled at the memory as she ran a finger down Quinn's smiling face. It was the one of them at the charity event back in January, the one that graced several magazine and tabloid covers the world over asking the question of whether or not the princess had finally found her bride.

Another frown marred her features, and Rachel tumbled backwards on her bed once again. She held the picture against her chest and sighed. What was going on with her? She'd never acted this way before. Not even when she had that crush on David Steno back in the third grade. She really needed to sort out her feelings. If not for her sake, then for her and Quinn's friendship.


	10. Shouldn't, Couldn't…Wouldn't?

**A.N.**: I know it's been a real slow development in the movement of Faberry's relationship, but I've always believed that patience is a virtue and that build ups are usually worth the wait. Hopefully people will still continue to stick around (and hopefully I won't disappoint in the delivery). So to everyone who's taken the time and stuck through with the story, thanks so much! The next chapters are definitely gonna be a lot more loaded and even more lengthy. :)

* * *

**Chapter 9: Shouldn't, Couldn't…Wouldn't?**

The Gulfstream G550's twin Rolls-Royce BR-710 engines thundered, powering the plane skyward with gut-wrenching force. Outside the window, LAX dropped away with startling speed.

_Twenty-one more lousy hours plus a lay-over until salvation,_ Rachel thought, her body forced back into the leather seat. _Can't hardly wait._

Rachel was seated with Emma and William near the front of the cabin. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted to tracks on the floor and could be repositioned and locked around a retractable rectangular hardwood table. A separate seating area occupying the middle cabin could be converted into a small bedroom and sealed off from the back cabin which housed the galley and mini boardroom by a sliding partition giving its occupant privacy and peace whilst a business undertakes in the back.

Rachel sighed at the lavishness of the airliner – a birthday present given to her by her fathers last year when she turned 18. A car would've been more than enough, but her parents had insisted that purchasing a $60 million private airplane would be a wonderful and fitting way to start the next chapter of her life.

_Yeah, right,_ Rachel rolled her eyes at the memory. _They only bought me this plane so that they could keep tabs on my whereabouts. So much for independence._ She sighed blissfully and leant back in her seat. Rachel loved her fathers dearly, no question about it, and she knows they mean well, but sometimes she just wished they'd treat her more like a grown-up instead of their only baby girl.

"You're quiet," Emma said, gazing across the Gulfstream's cabin at Rachel.

"Just tired," Rachel replied. And within reason. They had just spent the entire weekend wrapping up a filming contract for the new Tim Burton movie that was set to film in the winter during Rachel's vacation. She was currently on her break before production of her next movie and wasn't the least bit amused when William decided to barge in on it and drag her all the way to LA to wrap up negotiations. Now that all that was over and done with, the brunette wanted nothing more than to just kick back, relax and enjoy what was left of it. _Two whole weeks of uninterrupted bliss, _she sighed. She looked over to Emma and waved a hand towards her temple. "And trying to make out the cacophony of blah in my head," she added, pulling a face.

Emma giggled and nodded, feeling the same way. The hum of the engines and the gentle rocking of the plane were hypnotic, and her head was starting to throb from having gone through a discussion of a detailed itinerary line-up with William for the past hour. The bleary-eyed manager had gone to the back to forage for some snacks to settle his grumbling stomach.

"Care to share these blah cacophonies currently pulsating through your cranium?" Emma offered.

Rachel grinned and shook her head. "Nah, they're nothing really. Just the usual – school, work, pressure from both sides of the spectrum." _And an unsettling emotion I really have to work on controlling,_ she added in thought. "You know, the everyday monotonous drab every college student slash movie actress deals with."

"Uh-huh," Emma laughed. She looked her client over, deciding it best for Rachel to settle down and get some shut-eye in more comfortable settings. "Hey, you want me to go arrange the lounge into a more tolerable bedroom atmosphere?"

"That would be wonderful," Rachel sighed in appreciation, rubbing her temple.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Emma smiled, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting up. "I'll just come and get you when everything's ready."

"Yay!" Rachel clapped her hands enthusiastically. After Emma disappeared into the rear of the cabin, Rachel returned her gaze to the plane's misty window.

Outside, the dusk was coming fast, the sunset's crimson aura sinking off the starboard. The earth was starting to darken beneath them.

"Snacks, my dear?" William rejoined her with a flourish, presenting several cans of varied fruit juices and a tray of club sandwiches, cheeses, and diced fruit.

Rachel smiled lazily at her manager. "Thanks but no," she said, giving the food tray a once-over before spotting her favorite drink. "I'll just have the four seasons."

William handed Rachel the chilled pink can and a glass with ice cubes.

"Thank you," Rachel nodded, accepting the drink.

While William spread the fare out on the polished hardwood table, Rachel popped her drink and emptied half its contents into her glass – the faint emerald green of the crystal reminding her of familiar hazel eyes.

Quinn.

Heaving a sigh, she turned back to the window, her thoughts awash with disquiet and confusing emotions that accompanied the moniker whenever she thought of her friend. Her friend whom her seemingly innocent little crush on was now slowly and dangerously budding into the 'irrevocably in love' category.

_Irrevocably in love, _Rachel scoffed. _What is this, Twilight? _She sunk back in her seat and bit her lip as she mulled over her feelings for the blonde.

_When did it get like this?_ she asked herself, a simper replacing her frown as she glanced down at her drink as if it held the answers to her questions. _Why _did it have to get like this?

She thought she'd somehow be over it by now, this infatuation she harbored for the other girl. She thought with the passing weeks she'd be able to think about Quinn and not develop the tingles (as she liked to call them). That after a while, the mere mention of the blonde's name wouldn't send her into a blushing fit.

She tried plunging back into the dating pool, but just ended up comparing each and every one of them to Quinn. Now those weeks have turned into months and she was still in square one. And now, to add to her problem was another question – no, _the _question: to tell or not to tell? Yep. Even though she had now fully come to grips that her feelings were never going away, she still hadn't summoned up the guts to let them be known to anyone other than herself, especially not to the object of her affections.

"All's set, Rach!" Emma broke through her reverie.

"Huh, what?" Rachel asked, slightly dazed.

"The rear cabin's all set for you doze off in." Emma eyed her carefully. "You okay? You're looking kinda pale." She placed a hand on Rachel's forehead. "And a little flushed."

"Umm, no, I'm fine," Rachel hastily got up, trying to hide her blush. "I just…" she motioned blankly with her glass. "Jet lag," she explained with a tight nod and flashed her assistant a wry smile.

"Uh-huh," Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'll just go and lie down. Sleep it off," Rachel said, moving to the middle of the cabin briskly, not wanting to risk the 20 questions her assistant would throw at her if she stuck around.

"Okay, well, sleep tight," Emma called behind her.

Rachel nodded, rubbing her temple and feeling another headache come on. _God, I really need to get over this huge, blown up crush,_ she admonished herself as she settled into the soft and downy comforter of her makeshift bed. She closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down and get some much needed and totally overdue rest.

* * *

She tried to sleep on the plane, but couldn't. The constant turbulence and plane dropping the height gave her a headache and a sick stomach. Raymond, Quinn's chief of security and close confidante, knew his client was going to suffer from motion sickness on such a long journey so he gave her a bunch of medication to stop the headache and calm her stomach down. Now Quinn was laying, spread over two seats feeling like somebody broke all the bones in her body. She looked at her wristwatch: 5 more hours until they land at Brisbane.

"Somebody, please shoot me!" she said under her breath.

She looked up and saw Raymond sleeping right across her, snoring like there's no tomorrow. And Zara, her cousin, she was working on something on her laptop.

Scrounging through her small Prada carryon, she extracted her iPod and earbuds. She skimmed through the menu until she found the compilation of her favorite songs she had made the previous afternoon and pushed PLAY.

The gentle riffs of a guitar greeted Quinn's relaxed smile as the first song played on.

___You can't know, oh no_  
_You can't know _  
_How much I think about you, no_  
_It's making my head spin_

The first lines of Jem's _Flying High_ winnowed their way into her mind. Placing her head back sideways on her pillow, Quinn closed her eyes and let the lilting voice of the singer wash over her.

___Looking at you, and you are looking at me_  
_And we both know what we want_  
_Hmmm, so close to giving in_

If only life was that simple. _If only_, Quinn thought sadly.

_But I'm flying so high, high off the ground_  
_When you're around_  
_And I can feel your high_  
_Rocking me inside_  
_It's too much to hide_

Her thoughts drifted to the girl she indubitably had come to love more than anything... Rachel. It was like only yesterday that the two had met at St. Andrews. They instantly hit it off, and Quinn had instantly developed a crush, which had now quickly grown into the 'wildly in love' category. But now maybe she had waited too long. Waited in the wings for far too long and now she might have just lost any chance she had with the girl.

She knew that if given a chance, she'd be able to make Rachel happy, but there was one slight problem. She was in love and the brunette didn't know. She was oblivious to it. To Rachel, Quinn was just a really good friend. She calls her and tells her about her dates that she manages to have without the paparazzi finding out about it and spreading it around the tabloid mill like wildfire. Quinn's heart would break into a million pieces every time she gushed about the new flavor, and she wished every night that maybe the rumors that they are dating should come true.

_God, I wonder what I did to get this punishment. Falling in love with my best friend_, she thought sadly.

___I know, oh yes_  
_I know that we can't be together_  
_But, I just like to dream_

She had never tried to tell Rachel about her feelings; afraid she'd scare the brunette away and lose her as a friend. _Why can't you just grow a pair and get it over with already?_ her subconscious always argued with her. Because she was scared, scared of the rejection she might get from the other girl once she did reveal her true feelings. She'd already experienced far too many heartbreaks in her life and the thought of being on the receiving end of yet another blow, especially from Rachel, to her already fragile heart was far too devastating to even comprehend. She couldn't even think of living without the stunning brunette in her life.

_No, a definite no to that._ She'd totally veto even the slightest notion of it. Even if she had to suffer, she'd never do anything to hurt the other girl, in any way. In fact, she was happy to just have the brunette as one of her best friends, loving her from a distance.

___I know there's no such thing_  
_As painless love_  
_Well it'll catch us up and we can never win_  
_But ohhh, I feel so alive_  
_Ohhh, Just wanna hold you_  
_Hold you so tight_

But God, it was so hard, keeping it to herself. She wonders what it would feel like to kiss the brunette. Would there be fireworks, like in romance movies and novels?_ I wonder if she loves me too and feels the same way I do_, Quinn would often find herself wondering. _Wishful thinking is more like it._

Settling back into the deep cushions of her first class makeshift bed, Quinn closed her eyes and turned the volume to her iPod down and rested her head on the pillow. She let out a shaky sigh and dreamt of Rachel throughout the rest of the flight.

* * *

"Quinn... wake up!" Zara shook her.

"What?" she was all groggy. "Are we there yet?"

"Fifteen more minutes. Get your stuff and comb your hair, for goodness sake. You look like a bloody scarecrow," Zara laughed.

Quinn looked into her reflection the mini TV monitor in front of her gave. "Oh, bollocks!" Zara was right. Her hair was all messed up. She just straightened it out with her fingers and made a little ponytail on the back of her head. She sat up straight in her seat waiting for the plane to touch the ground. She could see it was a beautiful day outside, lots of sun and a clear blue sky. The plane finally rolled in to the end of the runway and the flight attendant wished them a pleasant stay and thanked them for using the services of their air company.

Quinn got her shades on as she and Zara stepped out of the plane with Raymond leading the way. The car was already there and the driver opened the door for them.

"Good morning, your Highness," the driver greeted them as she sat in the back of the car with Zara. Raymond took his seat in front, next to the driver.

Quinn took her glasses off and smiled. "Morning Ed." She settled down into her seat and closed her eyes. They still had at least five more hours to go on their connecting flight before arriving at their final destination. She groaned and mumbled, "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

Nothing but the sun, sand and the sea, Rachel sighed contentedly as she settled against her beach recliner. With her earbuds plugged in blasting The Black Keys, she closed her eyes and basked in the warm sunshine, almost falling asleep, when the insistent ringing of the doorbell brought her out of her haze. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and was about to close her eyes again when the ringing continued.

"God... hold your horses! I'm coming!" Rachel groaned as she stepped into the house and wrapped a towel around herself. _Where the hell is everyone?_ she grumbled as she made her way to the door.

She reached for the doorknob and opened the door, ready to bitch at whoever had the audacity to disturb her and her tranquil state. "What the hell do you-" the words got stuck in her throat and she almost fainted when she saw a face she hadn't been expecting to see on her front porch. She hastily slammed the door shut again and covered her mouth in shock. Was that? No, it couldn't be... could it?

Meanwhile, Quinn stood outside completely taken aback by the abrupt slamming of the door. Was that Rachel who just answered the door? She shared a look of bewilderment with Zara, who just shrugged in confusion as well. She looked down at the slip of paper in her hand to make sure they had the right address. _Everything seems to be in order,_ she thought and scratched her head. She was about to ring the doorbell again when the door was wretched slightly open and a pair of timid, familiar brown eyes peeked out at them.

"Rachel?" Quinn's unmistakable voice asked in surprise. Quinn smiled shyly and moved her sunglasses up to rest on top of her head. "Oh my God, Quinn! What are you doing here?" the brunette gasped out, finally opening the door wide enough to properly greet her completely unexpected yet thoroughly welcomed visitors.

"Um, surprise?" Quinn replied lamely with a light shrug of her shoulders. _I just knew this was a bad idea, _she internally cringed.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" Rachel fruitlessly tried to work her mouth. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself being launched at the other girl and enveloping her in a tight hug.

"I missed you too, Rach," Quinn chuckled in relief as the other girl continued to hug the life out of her. She closed her eyes, deciding to just bask in the moment and enjoy it. She had been a pile of nerves before, but now that she was here and had Rachel in her arms, any trepidation she felt had dissipated and was replaced with a calmness she hadn't felt since parting ways with the brunette.

"God, you have no idea…" Rachel whispered against Quinn's hair. She inhaled slowly, allowing the other girl's scent and presence to completely fill her. She knew she had missed the blonde, but really had no idea just _how much _until that moment. _And she smells really good, why does she have to smell and feel so good?_ She continued lightly cursing herself for feeling how she felt towards the other girl, while all the time relishing the blonde's closeness, faintly noticing how well their bodies fit together.

Their little moment was interrupted by a clearing of the throat, and both Quinn and Rachel sheepishly let go at the same time and took a small, reluctant step backwards.

"Oh, um, Rachel, this is my cousin Zara. Zara, this is Rachel," Quinn introduced the two with a smile.

Zara took a step forward and accepted Rachel's proffered hand. "Ahh... so _you're _the infamous Rachel my cousin here couldn't stop talking about," she smirked and nodded at Quinn, who was at the moment turning a very bright shade of red.

Rachel glanced briefly at Quinn and smirked. "Is that right?" she quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Nothing but of good things I hope."

"Oh, definitely," Zara nodded, enthused by the rapidly spreading blush now covering Quinn's ears. Her cousin was just too easy sometimes. "It's been nothing but _Rachel this_ and _Rachel that_ the entire trip. And don't get me started on how she has been these past couple of months..."

"All right, if you two are done embarrassing me, can we go inside already? It's really hot out here and I'd really love to play catch up in a much more hospitable environment," Quinn let out in a hurried breath. She shot Zara a subtle glare but the other blonde just grinned mischievously at her. Her nervousness and anxiety around Rachel was certain to get the best of her and her cousin definitely wasn't helping matters any.

"Right. Sorry, um, come in," Rachel gestured, opening the door wide behind her to allow them through. She flashed Quinn a comforting smile and nodded at Raymond who was followed by two more similarly dressed men who Rachel surmised was part of her royal guests' security entourage.

"Are you guys hungry? Thirsty?"

Quinn shook her head at the offer. "No, that's okay. We're fine Rach."

"Are you sure? Because I can go whip up some sandwiches if you want. And there's a ton of drinks in the cooler…"

"Well, now that you mention it-" whatever Zara was going to say was cut off when Quinn subtly (and sharply) elbowed her in the stomach.

"Seriously, we're fine, Rach." Quinn glared at her cousin. "We actually ate a couple of subs on the way here so we're quite full as it is."

"If you're sure," Rachel acquiesced. She watched with curious eyes as Raymond and his team made a full sweep of the room, checking every nook and cranny for anything that might be deemed a threat to their royal cargo. She turned to Quinn and raised an eyebrow. Quinn just smiled and shook her head.

"Don't mind them. It's just royal protocol, is all," she said with a roll of her eyes. Rachel merely mouthed an 'oh' in understanding and they stood there, grinning from ear to ear idiotically while Zara looked on in inquisitively. Hmm, she'd definitely have to talk to Quinn about that, she thought as she regarded the two girls regarding each other silently. Not wanting to be a bystander to the two girls' starefest any longer, Zara let out a loud sigh that got both girls' attention.

"So, what's fun to do around here? I heard the beaches here are fabulous," she said as she peered into the living room that led to the massive veranda outside overlooking the beach.

"Uh, yeah. We have a few jet skis outside and a parasail if you guys wanna go parasailing," Rachel walked over to the sliding glass doors and pointed the equipment out from her view inside the house. "We also have a bunch of ATV's, so if you get bored we can go explore the bank up the beach or wherever." She smiled and turned to both blondes. "Or you could just join me outside and enjoy the sun and sunbathe for a bit."

At the mention of the beach and sunbathing, Quinn looked down and finally noticed that Rachel was wearing nothing but a towel that barely covered the brunette's bikini-clad body. She felt her cheeks burning up again at the sight and immediately turned her gaze elsewhere. But as she looked up, she caught the questioning glances being directed at her by both Rachel and Zara, the brunette's riddled with innocent curiosity (and indifference to her near-naked attire) while her cousin's was filled with prying mischief.

"Erm," she tried desperately to clear out the clog that blocked her throat. "Yeah, sure. Those sound really fun."

"Riiight... okay," Rachel drawled out, wondering why the blonde's cheeks were suddenly glowing bright red again. _Idiot_, the thought finally dawned on her. _They're probably exhausted from all the flying and just want to rest and get some sleep. _"Where are my manners? You're both probably dead tired from all the flying. Come on, I'll show you to your rooms."

As Rachel led the way up the stairs to where their respective bedrooms were located, Zara tugged at Quinn and gave her a look that said 'you better tell me what the bloody hell is exactly going on here'. Quinn just sighed in exasperation and shrugged her cousin's hand off. She half-heartedly flashed her an 'I'll explain later' glare and trudged up the stairs to catch up to Rachel.

"Okay, here we are," Rachel said, opening the door of the room at the very end of the hallway. "There are twin beds here, sheets are in that drawer and the bathroom's right over there." She turned back to the two royals and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you want separate rooms?"

"This room's perfect, thank you," Quinn replied before Zara had a chance to utter a single word of protest.

"All right then," Rachel flashed the blonde a smile and moved to leave the room. "Well, uh, I'll let you settle in. If you need me, just holler and I'll come-a-running." She gave the two another smile and turned to leave when she felt a soft hand grasp her wrist. She looked up and saw shining, clear hazel eyes peering up at her.

"Thank you," Quinn said, not withdrawing her grasp from the other girl. Rachel smiled widely and nodded. "You're welcome." She slid her hand up and slipped it into Quinn's, giving the blonde a soft, comforting squeeze before letting go.

Quinn, though a little disappointed at the sudden lack of contact, smiled at her shyly. She was about to turn back to Zara when she heard Rachel softly call out her name again.

"It's really good to see you, Quinn," Rachel told her, her voice a mere whisper, but Quinn heard her clearly as if they were the only two people in the room.

"It's _great _to see you, too, Rach," Quinn corrected her with a smile. She watched adoringly as Rachel's dimples were made visible as the other girl flashed her a wide, demure smile.

Rachel bit her bottom lip and nodded, "I'll see you guys downstairs." With that, she left the room, Raymond and his team following behind her as she led the way to their own rooms.

Quinn glanced longingly at their retreating figures and sighed. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to see her cousin casting her a pointed look.

"Just shut up and unpack, okay?" She threw Zara her carryon and proceeded to pile up her own luggage on the bed nearest to her. Zara regarded Quinn for a little while longer before finally conceding to her cousin's silent command to talk later and began to unpack as well.

Quinn, meanwhile, was too caught up in her own thoughts to think about having to explaining her situation to her cousin just yet. Sighing, she moved to the bedroom's floor to ceiling sliding glass patio doors and peeled back the curtains. She smiled in awe as the beautiful ocean-side view was revealed to her. Her eyes roamed around the property until they landed on a particularly heart-stopping sight. She watched in thunderstruck attention as Rachel removed the beach towel covering her modesties, pick up her cocktail drink and take a sip before sitting down and reclining on her lounger. She looked on longingly as she observed how the sun bathed the brunette's lithe, tanned form in its warm summer glow. Gulping, Quinn pulled herself away from the tempting view before she lost it completely and did something she'd end up regretting.

Thanking God that her cousin had retreated to the adjoining bathroom and had not seen her practically salivating over Rachel, Quinn threw herself on her bed and covered her face with both hands. Breathing out in exasperation, she sighed out loud to the quiet room and thought despondently: _This is going to be a very, very long summer._


	11. Birds and a Devil

**A.N.**: yeah, I know, _another_ update…but it'll be the last one for now I swear! I'm working on the next chapters and it might be a while until I can post them so hopefully the last three updates will suffice until then. As promised, this one's a very lengthy chapter. To those wondering how on earth could Rachel fit Quinn, her cousin, their security team AND her own guests at the house they're staying at, don't forget that Rachel's family comes from money. So a typical holiday home in her case would be the equivalent to a mansion complete with guest and pool houses.

**A.N. 2**: I've never been to Cairns (although I would definitely love to) so I just based everything on what I've read online. Oh and some jealousy speed bumps ahead, but nothing that's too concerning. Usual other disclaimers apply and all mistakes are mine.

**A.N. 3**:I've edited this chapter since it's been brought to my attention that I was using an offensive term when describing Tina. I meant no harm with it at all, it was simply an adjective used to describe a specific physical trait. Still, I sincerely apologize if I offended anyone when that really wasn't my intention at all.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Birds and a Devil**

Rachel watched from the barbecue grill as Quinn and her friends played a loud game of Trivial Pursuit, Star Wars Classic Edition. Yet another thing the girl had surprised her with.

_Who knew that the Princess of Wales was an avid follower of the Force?_ she thought with a chuckle as Quinn whooped in victory after getting another question right.

The first surprise, of course, was the blonde (okay, make that _two_ blondes) arriving at her doorstep – a week earlier than expected. After months of settling for conversations over the phone and e-mails, though those were enjoyable, she and Quinn had finally made plans to meet up. Quinn's summer vacation was coming up and it had coincided nicely with the break Rachel had before the start of filming for her next movie, so what better time than to set up a rendezvous? They were originally to meet up at Cairns Airport before heading down to the sprawling beach house Rachel's aunt had free for use. The brunette had already set out arrangements two weeks in advance so that there would be less hassle, so it wasn't like she was caught off-guard preparations-wise. Nonetheless, Quinn arriving a week ahead of schedule still threw her for quite a loop.

The reason for the other girl's sudden arrival was fairly simple really. Quinn had been spending the beginning of her summer break at Lena Downs, a safari reserve in Northern Kenya owned by the famed conservationist Craig family. Their daughter Jessica, or Jecca for short, who was a good friend of the blonde's (and long-rumored past girlfriend), had invited Quinn and her cousin Zara to spend part of their holidays there. They were originally set to stay for three weeks, but after the first week, Quinn found herself missing and aching to see the brunette, and so decided to cut her visit short (much to Jecca's disappointment) and took the next available flight out to Cairns.

Impulsive?

Maybe. But not if you've had to wait nearly five long months to finally be re-acquainted with the one person who's inhabited your daily thoughts and dreams. Quinn didn't tell Rachel that last bit of course. Not that she had to. Zara took it upon herself to relay to the brunette (and anybody else who'd listen) how miserable her cousin was at the ranch sanctuary and what a pile of nerves she'd been throughout the entire thirty-plus-hour flight to Cairns.

"Charming little thing, isn't she?" the aforementioned cousin cut through Rachel's thoughts. Rachel frowned and turned to the blonde. "Pardon?"

Zara only sniggered at the apparently distracted brunette. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards Quinn. "Quinn, my cousin? I swear to God if we weren't related or if not for the fact that she's Europe's most eligible bachelorette, I would've disowned her Star Wars loving arse a long time ago." She let out an exhausted sigh and shook her head. "If only they knew."

"_I_ like Star Wars," Rachel immediately went to the other blonde's defense, feeling a bit slighted herself. I mean, come on. Who _doesn't_ like Star Wars?

"Enough to know what Chewbacca's homeworld is and what Wookiee language they use?"

"Kashyyyk and Shyriiwook," Rachel answered easily.

"Riiight," Zara allowed her other eyebrow to join the first and shook her head dismissively. "If you two aren't made for each other, then I don't know what is," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she brushed off casually. She continued to eye Rachel, who was inconspicuously trying to eye Quinn, who she also observed, had been keenly regarding the brunette for the past hour or so as well. Zara shook her head again at both girls' blatant ogling of the other and quietly sighed. _Seriously_, and everyone says she was the doltish one in the family. Anyone with eyes could see how much these two had it bad for the other. Heck, even the _blind_ would be perceptive enough to the accompanying cloud of tension trailing in their wake. _I guess I really do have my work cut out for me, _she thought wistfully.

The first time she had heard about Rachel Berry, or rather Rachel Berry's connection with her cousin, was a good four and a half months ago when that infamous picture of them together at the charity polo fundraiser graced all those magazine and tabloid headlines. At first she had laughed it off along with every other member of the royal family (Quinn included), but then she began to notice the subtle differences in Quinn's behavior whenever the brunette actress was mentioned around her. Like how her face would just instantly light up and her eyes would sort of sparkle and their normally muted hazel color would lighten to a more cheerful shade of green with bright specks of gold. Initially she had chalked it up to the blonde suffering from nothing more than a severe case of star struck, but when Brittany and Santana – Quinn's university friends – had informed her of her cousin's constant spacing off and daydreaming at the mere mention of the brunette's name, her suspicions had multiplied tenfold.

Those suspicions were only further encouraged when they were at the Craig family ranch. She had observed how Quinn wore a pretense of enjoyment to mask her apparent indifference while in the presence of their hosts, but when she'd just spent some time, no matter how brief, with Rachel over the phone or had received an e-mail or text message from the girl, she'd wear this really goofy grin and she'd be extra peppy.

And now, after watching her physically interact with the brunette, her inkling about her cousin's maybe feelings were proven true. And it seems they didn't go one way either, seeing as Rachel couldn't seem to keep her eyes off Quinn either. Now all she had to do was get Quinn to come clean about her infatuation and then maybe they can orchestrate some sort of plan to woo the other girl (Rachel) into admitting her feelings out loud as well.

"Well, I'm just going to go over there and join the rest of the Jedi Union," she heaved out a sigh. She looked down, smirked and then leaned closer to stage whisper to Rachel, "You might want to turn those over."

"Shit!" Rachel exclaimed upon looking down herself and seeing (and smelling) the burnt smoke wafting over the hamburger patties she had been meticulously grilling to perfection for the past fifteen minutes.

Upon that exclamation, Zara left the frazzled brunette to fuss over the now slightly overdone burgers and sauntered over to the main group. Oh, yes. This was definitely going to be a fun summer.

* * *

_Don't look up. She's looking at you. Don't look up. _Quinn chanted her mantra in her head when she felt a certain pair of brown eyes focus on her from across the veranda. Unable to control herself any longer, she cast a subtle glance up, and sure enough there was Rachel looking up at her from the barbecue grill.

_She's looking at me_, Quinn felt her heart do a back flip. _Or she could just be watching you and her friends make absolute buggers out of yourselves while playing Trivial Pursuit, _she grumbled internally. Why did she agree on playing this game again? She looked down at her scorecard and grinned. _Because you're the longstanding champion and you're wiping everybody's arse on the floor with it!  
_  
After getting another question right (and hearing the entire table grumble in disbelief), she looked over to Rachel and the grill with a triumphant smile, which was wiped away almost immediately when she saw the person who was standing next to the brunette and making idle conversation with. _Bollocks, _her hazel eyes widened in trepidation. She quickly turned her attention elsewhere when a pair of blue orbs flicked to her line of sight as well.

_Great. I just hope Zara doesn't go blabbering about anything further embarrassing on my account, _Quinn grumbled internally, still feeling the mortification of her cousin's revelations to everyone about her nervousness and eagerness over their trip and being able to see Rachel again. Although the brunette seemed to take it none to disconcertingly, it was nevertheless still a bit humiliating and she hoped the other girl wasn't put too off by it.

So far it had been two days since she and Zara had arrived and they had been enjoying their stay at the quiet and peaceful beach cosmopolitan. Just that morning they had gone cruising on the Great Barrier Reef where they snorkeled and marveled at the picturesque marine park, and they had spent most of the other day just shopping and touring around town.

She and Zara were having the time of their life. The locals didn't pay much attention to them, save for maybe a few quick stares and glances which Quinn was sure were more directed at Rachel anyway. But other than that, it had been pure bliss for the two royals. It was like St. Andrews, except far more relaxing. They didn't have to worry much about the paparazzi or avid fan encounters since, by reputation, the city as a whole couldn't really care less if you were the Prime Minister or the Queen herself. So there she and Zara would be, roaming the city streets and the malls without so much as a baseball cap or a pair of sunglasses on and people didn't even take notice of them. For Quinn, the anonymity and complete freedom was pure heaven. And everybody – whether it be a street vendor, a salesperson or a passerby – was so friendly and hospitable. No wonder Rachel loved vacationing there so much.

Speaking of the girl, Quinn still found it a little hard to believe that she was finally in the same vicinity as the brunette after months of being away – practically on the other side of the globe – from her.

Before she could go off into another tangent of Rachel daydreaming, she was jarred out of them when she felt a body plop down heavily next to her on the couch. She looked up and was immediately greeted by the grinning mischief of her cousin's twinkling blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow in silent question as if to ask 'What?' and received a knowing smirk and shrug in reply. She knew her cousin was just looking to get a rise out of her (like she had constantly been doing over the past couple of days), so she merely rolled her eyes at the blonde's impishness, deciding it was better to write Zara's teasing off and pay attention to the game in front of her instead.

_Yeah, like that'll happen_, especially now that she was itching with anxiety to know what exactly the other blonde could have divulged to Rachel and vice versa. _Stop it Quinn, _she berated herself. _Don't let her get under your skin. At least not now and in front of everybody. God knows a repeat performance of your pathetic blathering and stuttering goldfish impression is what you need to happen again._

After a few more minutes of being subjected to Quinn's avoidance tactic, Zara finally broke her silence and sighed loudly to the group. "So, what are the plans for the night?" she asked around the circle. "Though the nightly barbecues and s'more roasting have been delightful, I was thinking we could all go out and hit some of the clubs?"

"Totally," Kurt, who was sitting directly across the blonde duo, nodded in agreement. "Ooh, I know! We could take out a ferry ride to Fitzroy Island and spend the night," he suggested eagerly. "They have a fantastic night club up there."

"I don't know. It's kind of a little too far away," Tina butted in. "Not to mention they're still having some renovations done on most part of the island anyway."

"Well, what about the food festival over at the Esplanade?" Jesse threw in.

"Food festival?" Quinn asked, looking up from the game, intrigued.

"Yeah. Actually, it's more of a food and wine festival," Jesse explained. "Most of the local restaurants join in and it usually kicks off right around 4pm and lasts well into the night."

"Plus there's this massive stage at the center promenade where all these crazy stuff happens," Mercedes added, thinking pensively for a moment. "I heard they have Silverchair and The Veronicas playing tonight."

"Seriously?" Quinn asked excitedly. She was a massive fan of both bands and she'd been dying for the longest time to see them play live.

Hmm... Rachel, Silverchair, The Veronicas and dining under the stars? That definitely sounded like an excellent prospect if she ever heard one, Quinn thought dreamily.

"Yep, it's tons of fun," Jesse continued while Mercedes and the other girls nodded.

"Plus we can go clubbing right after," Mercedes told Zara. "Everything wraps up by 11pm anyways."

"Sounds good to me," Zara nodded in agreement after considering it for a moment. She turned to her cousin and raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," Quinn acquiesced with a nod.

"What's a great idea?" Rachel asked, catching the tail end of the conversation, as she walked up to the table carrying two trays of freshly-grilled hotdogs and burgers in either hand.

"Food fest over at the Esplanade tonight," Tina answered as the brunette moved to the center of the circle and placed both trays of sandwiches down. As soon as she did so, it only took a matter of a few seconds before everything was scooped up.

Rachel shook her head at the display and took her seat next to Kurt and nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, hey, yeah. I totally forgot it was starting today." She grabbed the remaining veggie burger on the table and fought off a grimace when she took a sizable bite and found it to have the patty with the most burnt side. _Figures I'd be the one to end up with it_, she thought as the ashy flavor hit her taste buds. She forcefully swallowed the chunk before turning to her friends. "Aren't Silverchair and The Veronicas playing tonight?"

"Yes and yes," Kurt answered with a giddy nod, his cheeks slightly puffed as he worked on a mouthful of hotdogs. "Ooh! VIP passes!"

"Oh God," Sam moaned from behind his burger.

"Not again," Jesse grumbled as well. "Please, no more VIP passes."

"Why? What's wrong?" Quinn and Zara asked at the same time.

"The last time these two were given VIP passes to a concert they practically mauled the group," Jesse explained, pointing to Mercedes and Kurt.

"Yeah, meanwhile Rachel took on a sudden state of catatonia," Sam snickered and dodged a cushion projectile Rachel hurled from across the table. "She practically fainted when she shook hands with them."

"You'd be star struck too if you got to meet Aerosmith backstage!" Rachel defended, preparing to launch another pillow at him.

"You nearly fainted?" Quinn asked incredulously, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Two words, Quinn: _Steven Tyler_," Rachel lobbied, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Weren't you co-stars with Liv Tyler in that movie though?" Zara asked, thoroughly amused.

"Well, yeah, but I never actually met her family," the brunette retorted. She turned to Jesse and Sam who were still snickering maniacally. "And besides, you two should talk. If I recall correctly, wasn't it you who was peeing in his pants, St. James? Not to mention Mr. All-Star here who just about threw up when Joe Perry signed his backstage pass," she smirked at the two boys who blushed a bright red and the entire table burst into hysterics.

"Moving along," Tina mediated before the discussion could turn ugly. "Is that a nay or a yay on the festival?"

"Definitely a yay," Kurt voted and the rest of the group nodded as well.

"All right then," Tina clapped her hands and stood up. "I'll go arrange for our tickets and hopefully make reservations for our usual table plus four."

"Reservations?" Quinn queried after Tina left and went inside the main house to make the necessary arrangements.

"Yeah, it gets a little crazy come dinner time," Rachel explained. "Especially now with those two bands playing tonight. People tend to get a little rowdy when it comes to getting the best seats in the house."

"I see," Quinn nodded understandably, though feeling a little ill at ease at the prospect of having to fight her way through a massive crowd of concert-goers.

Rachel, having spotted the worrying mar on the other girl's features, reached over and gave the blonde's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from any bum rush." She winked and returned Quinn's answering shy smile with one of her own. Before they could get carried away in each other's gaze, however, Tina reappeared, the cordless phone attached to her ear.

"Yeah, okay. Thank you so much, Stephen," she said before ending the call. "Okay, everything's set. We ought to leave around five-ish to make the late afternoon rush. It's currently a quarter past two," she continued, glancing down at her wristwatch. "That's roughly three hours left to get ready, which I'm sure is more than enough time." She quickly looked around the group and eyed each one of them. "So if any of you slow pokes don't have your asses down here by that time, we're leaving your sorry butts home, kapeesh?"

A collective murmur of yes's went around and Tina nodded in satisfaction. They were all aware, even Zara who had just been acquainted with the girl, of how particular the brunette was about punctuality, so they knew better than to test her threat.

"Awesome," Rachel grinned widely, letting go of Quinn's hand as she moved to stand up from her seat.

Quinn frowned a bit at the loss of contact but quickly covered it up with an excited grin of her own. After helping clear the table, she along with everybody else made their way inside the house, one thought reverberating in her mind: A night of drinking, eating, music and dancing. Oh it was going to be a good evening indeed.

* * *

"Having fun?" Rachel asked from across the table.

It was past 7 o'clock and they were in the middle and least crowded section of the promenade at the Esplanade, occupying two joined long tables and enjoying some local food offerings such us _yabbies_ (small freshwater lobsters), roast suckling pig, tiger prawns, a selection of Asian-infused dishes and bowls of baked Macadamia nuts plus a few bottles of specialty wine to down everything with. The entire foreshore was blocked up and converted into a dining area runway and was surrounded by several food stands serving all sorts of local and international food ranging from grilled seafood to barbecued pork and meat. At the very center of the boardwalk, there was an erected stage holding most of the night's entertainment.

"The time of my life," Quinn replied over the bustling of the happy dining crowd. People from all walks of life were there. Most of the attendees consisted of groups of friends but Quinn pleasantly noted that several handfuls of families were also at hand. Everybody was enjoying themselves. People were drinking, dining, sharing stories and basically having a wonderful evening as they all watched the unfolding program of the night.

"I'm glad," Rachel smiled, happy that the blonde was enjoying herself. "Zara?"

"Brilliant," was all the other royal said as she held her drink up in a toast.

"Do this many people come every year?" Quinn inquired, looking around at the throngs of people enjoying their meal out in the open air under the stars.

"As far as I know, yeah," Rachel replied. "But then again, when does food and music not bring people together?"

"Tell me again what that's supposed to be?" Zara asked, pointing to the stage where two 2-member groups of ponytailed scantily dressed gay men stood opposite of each other along with the emcees.

"Oh, it's some sort of boxing fight." Rachel craned her neck to get a good view of the sparring men. "This is round two I think."

"This is awesome, isn't it?" Kurt piped up. "Only here in Cairns at a food festival is witnessing four gay men jump and take a go at each other considered as quality family entertainment." Everyone at the table laughed at the boy's witticism as they looked on and watched the said four gay men punch and knock each other out.

* * *

"Oh my God," Quinn continued to gush as their car carried them to their next destination. It was now a little after 11 o'clock and after the concert and program at the Esplanade drew to a close, the group headed off to Rachel and her friends' usual club haunt, 1936, over at the Reef Casino.

"I still can't believe I met Daniel Johns and The Veronicas," she brought both hands up to her cheeks and sighed dreamily. "I'm never washing my face again."

"Okay, first of all, ew!" Rachel laughed at the glazed look on the blonde's face. "Second of all, why are you acting like a hyped up twelve-year-old at her first Spice Girls concert? I mean, you _have_ met other celebrities before, right?"

"Yes, but, _Silverchair_ and _The Veronicas_..." Quinn asserted, still looking starry-eyed. "_Daniel Johns_, Rachel. Daniel Johns _and_ both Jess and Lisa _kissed_ me."

"You have to excuse our royal highness. She's had a _ginormous_ crush on Daniel and the sisters since forever," Zara mocked and rolled her eyes at the wistful expression her cousin sported. "Though I really have to wonder why. I mean, I can understand the girls, but the man has the talent of a thirteen-year-old Kurt Cobain wannabe."

"Says the girl who used to crush on _Justin Timberlake_ while listening to _N-Sync,_" Quinn threw back, temporarily coming down from her high.

"I was young and stupid," Zara sighed dramatically. "But you have to admit, that man is looking extra fit nowadays."

Quinn snorted. "Uh, yes, sure. If you're into _mouseketeers._"

"Didn't I read somewhere that you used to have a crush on Britney Spears?" Rachel interjected teasingly.

"_Used to_ being the operative word," Quinn answered with a roll of her eyes. "You know, back when she _used to_ care for personal hygiene and wasn't a stoned, head-shaving divorcee of Vanilla Ice reincarnated with a penchant for crotch flashing." She theatrically echoed her cousin's earlier sentiment with a solemn shake of her head. "What can I say? I was young and stupid."

The entire group laughed in agreement.

"We all were, Quinn. We all were." Jesse concurred from the front seat. He looked ahead and saw the looming architecture of the glass dome rooftop of the Casino. "Ah, home sweet home."

After a rather attentive valet tried valiantly to park their car only to be shunned away by Marco, Rachel's hulk of a driver, the group was quickly ushered inside the hotel.

"Miss Berry, my, it's nice to see you out here again. How's the family back home?" the concierge greeted Rachel cordially after spotting them enter the Casino.

"Hey Nicholas. It's good to be back here again. The family's great. Fathers' still a bit of a pain, but otherwise tolerable." She grinned and turned around and gestured to her friends. "Of course, you know these guys."

"Hey, Nick." Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Sam and Jesse greeted him.

"Sure do," Nicholas winked at them in reply.

"And these are my other friends." Rachel turned to the two royals. "This is Quinn and her cousin Zara."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Nicholas greeted them charmingly with kisses on the cheek. "So are we here for sport or pleasure?" he asked as he led them through the lobby.

"Pleasure I'm afraid," Rachel smiled at him. "Dad and daddy weren't exactly that thrilled about my last sporting exploit," she chuckled, briefly recalling the monumental harangue she and her friends had received particularly from her parents _and_ William after reports of their casino activities made the magazine rounds last year.

"Ah, 'tis a pity then," Nicholas laughed good-naturedly. They finally approached 1936's entrance and Nicholas waved for the bouncer to allow them to pass. Once inside the nightclub, they were almost immediately drowned by the loud pulsating beat of dance and techno music.

"How on earth are we going to find a place to sit around here?" Zara shouted to be heard above the din.

"Not a problem," Tina replied. "I've already made reservations for us, remember?"

Soon enough, Nicholas had led them to a vacant booth near one the bars. After receiving his thanks, he disappeared back into the mass of gyrating bodies. After they were settled, Kurt, Mercedes and Zara went straight to the dance floor with Jesse and Sam, leaving Quinn, Rachel and Tina behind in the booth. People walked by the brunette and smiled, or waved as if they knew her personally.

"Rachel Berry, right?" A female in her early twenties came up to her.

"That is me," Rachel smiled warmly.

"My friends over there," the woman pointed to a table where everyone waved back when Rachel looked their way, "We were kinda hoping we could get a picture of you and your autograph."

"Um," Rachel looked at Quinn and Tina. "How about in a while?"

"No, go." Quinn whispered in her ear and Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine. Quinn pulled back and gave her a coy grin. "First rule in the celebrity handbook: never keep the public waiting."

"Oh, you mean like you usually do?" Rachel shot back jokingly and chuckled at Quinn's answering eye roll. "Fine. I'll be right back." She said as she got up and followed the woman to her table.

Shortly after, a barmaid came to get their drink order and inform them of the menu for the evening. While Tina relayed their orders, Quinn took the time to watch Rachel make introductions and small talk with the group. She saw how friendly the brunette was with strangers, strangers that look at her everyday in her movies and in their magazines or whatever else they have. Rachel laughed with the gang, as if they were old friends, which brought a smile to Quinn's face. Watching Rachel like others, even though she didn't have the slightest clue who they were.

"So, how are you enjoying your stay here so far?" Tina asked breaking into her reverie.

"Immensely, actually," Quinn answered with a smile, shifting her gaze momentarily from the brunette. "It's insanely beautiful down here and the people are amazingly friendly."

"So unlike the hustle and bustle of London, huh?" Tina chuckled.

"Definitely," Quinn nodded vigorously. "It kind of reminds me of St. Andrews."

"Ah, St. Andrews," Tina nodded back. "So how are things over there? I heard you're shifting majors?"

"Yes, umm, I finally decided geography was far better suited for me than arts history," Quinn replied with a small laugh. "I guess traveling and exploring the world seemed a far better prospect than being stuck indoors studying hundred-year-old art memorabilia," she joked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Actually, Rachel had the same exact dilemma you did last year," Tina revealed.

Quinn perked up a bit. That was news to her. "Really?"

"Yeah," Tina nodded and turned her gaze to Rachel, who was still busy sharing small talk with her admirers. "She contemplated for a while whether or not to shift to Russian Literature."

"Huh," was all Quinn muttered as she sat back in her seat, her brain slowly digesting that bit of information. Rachel with a sexy Russian accent, Quinn's eyes practically glazed over at the thought. As if that weren't stimulating enough, her eyes flickered over just in time to see Rachel bend over to pick up a pen. The way those jeans cupped her ass perfectly. _Oh God, _Quinn gulped. _Why must you torture me so? _Just as her thoughts were veering into dirtier territory, she was roused out of them by Tina's voice.

"She loves reading and was always fascinated by Russian culture, so she weighed on that for the better part of the first semester before finally deciding that a career in psychology was a far more practical course, especially since she could easily relate it to acting." Tina smiled at the barmaid from earlier as their drinks were laid out in front of them. "I don't know. Sometimes I think she's just doing it for her parents' sake, but then again she's always seemed really happy with everything." She turned to Quinn and gave her a small smile. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into things, but I just want her to be happy, you know?"

"No, I get that," Quinn agreed wholeheartedly. "You just want what's best for your best friend. It's completely understandable."

A silence fell over the table as they separately contemplated that statement. For Quinn, it was a relief. Not that she wasn't enjoying talking to Tina, it was the complete opposite really. She loved hearing and finding out new things about Rachel, especially from the people that knew her as well as Tina did. But that was just the thing. Tina was one of Rachel's longest and dearest friends, and Quinn felt that if the conversation went on a little further, she'd end up saying the wrong thing and offend the other girl. Not to mention embarrass herself, especially seeing as where her last train of thought was headed straight to. That she definitely _did not_ want. Even if she figured she might not have the slightest of chances with the brunette, she wanted to impress Rachel's friends and get on with them. She wanted to be a part of the other girl's life, and she knew if the situation were reversed, she'd also want her friends to get along with the brunette. Although that wasn't a problem anyway since every one of Quinn's friends and family - yes, including her grandmother who _finally_ came around after three months of persuading on Quinn's part proving the brunette's worth - absolutely _adored_ Rachel.

Unbeknownst to Quinn, Tina was also ruminating over the same thing. Over the past few months she saw a change in her best friend. She'd been having a sinking suspicion for a while now that Rachel's feelings for her newly acquired royal 'bestie' were anything short of platonic even if the brunette denied it on a consistent basis. Rachel may be one of the industry's most talented and respected actresses, but when it came down to it, she was as easy to read as a paperback book so long as you know how and where to look between the lines. And as of late, those lines were all but screaming "Help me I'm falling!" out loud, but Tina knew better than to coral the brunette into confessing so she let the girl continue on with her silent daydreaming knowing that when she felt she was ready, Rachel would come to her instead. It would just take a little bit of patience, is all.

Which was why she had been keeping a close eye on the blonde royal since her arrival several days ago.

She knew Rachel was afraid of falling and having her heart broken, so as her best friend, it was her sworn duty to make damn sure that the girl's current object of affections wouldn't end up being her Achilles' heel. But with what she had gathered so far, it seemed she had very little to worry about. It wasn't exactly obvious, but she could tell that her best friend wasn't the only one who was harboring a crush.

She had observed the way Quinn would try to discreetly sneak glances at Rachel when she thought no one was looking. She saw the way the blonde would instantly perk up any time Rachel was mentioned and how the other girl directed all her attention to the brunette whenever Rachel spoke. It was incredibly endearing, actually. And she somehow knew that it wasn't some fickle thing for the blonde either. She couldn't exactly explain it, but she was confident enough to know that whatever Quinn felt for her best friend was genuine and not just a passing celebrity infatuation. Now the only problem was how was she going to go about bringing the two together without overstepping her bounds?

While both girls reflected upon their thoughts, Rachel finally finished signing autographs and taking pictures with the group of girls and was now making her way back to the two blondes. She plopped herself down in-between Quinn and Tina and dramatically raised a hand to her forehead. "The things someone as famous as I have to put up with," she joked. She then grinned widely at the array of cocktail drinks lined up on their table and picked up her favorite drink. "So, anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

Quinn and Tina shared a glance and merely smiled before shaking their head in unison.

"O-kay," Rachel eyed both girls closely before deciding to shake their weirdness off.

"This place is mad," Zara proclaimed, plopping herself beside Quinn and leaning over her. She and Mercedes had now joined the other three after a rather sweaty dance number to cool down a little.

"It's nice," Quinn replied evenly and snuck a quick look at Rachel who was happily enjoying her raspberry mojito. She was sipping the drink using the little straw, and Quinn's eyes were locked on her lips, as they parted slowly, touched the straw, encircling it before she sucked lightly. Quinn felt arousal sweep through her body at the simple gesture.

"God, this has got to be the best mojito I've had in like, ever," the brunette practically moaned, licking her lips. Quinn, who was trying hard to keep her hormones in check, quickly dropped her eyes and leaned over to Zara. "I'm going to head to the restroom."

"What?" Zara yelled over the music.

"I said I'm going to go to the bathroom," Quinn replied in a louder voice so that Zara could hear her.

"Oh, okay," Zara nodded. Rachel turned to watch Quinn get up and start threading through the now thickening crowd. "Where-"

"Bathroom," Zara said.

* * *

Quinn stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at her reflection. She had been relieved to find that there was a separate restroom for VIP guests aside from the main one that had a long queue of girls waiting for their turn. She was definitely not in the mood to mix and mingle so that had been a relief. _The many perks of being famous, _she mused. Her thoughts then went back to Rachel and she could feel her entire body shivering just a bit. Who knew that something as innocent as sipping a drink could look so... _erotic_. And the way she moaned...

Quinn closed her eyes, already getting lost in thoughts of how the other girl would look and feel and sound like underneath her... moaning in ecstasy as she had her hands all over her tight, beautiful...

_Okay! Calm yourself down, Quinn!_

She took a deep calming breath and exhaled slowly, shaking her head as if she wanted those thoughts out of it. She reached for the tap on the sink in front of her and turned it on. She then splashed freezing cold water in her face.

After drying her face clean, she glanced back at her reflection in the mirror and took another deep breath. _Okay, it's going to be a long night and you'll probably need a bit more alcohol in your system to loosen up more and not feel like a hormonal sixteen-year-old boy every time you're around Rachel,_ she told her reflection. _Get it together, Fabray!_

Satisfied with her pep talk, she turned to the exit and left the room with renewed spirits. On the way back to the main floor, she was too busy thinking of ways to control herself, she didn't even notice that she was about to crash into someone.

"Watch it," a female voice said sharply.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." Quinn looked up and found herself face to face with long, golden hair and luminescent green eyes.

The scowl on the woman's face quickly turned into a seductive smirk as she took in the blonde princess' appearance. The woman was attractive, and made no secret of her appreciation for Quinn's form. Her eyes went slowly down Quinn's Jimmy Choo-clad feet and back up. Quinn flushed red at the woman's open rubbernecking. She took an inaudible gulp and cleared her throat ready to make another apology when the blonde-haired woman cut her off.

"Well, I'm not," the blonde purred.

She gulped again and her eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.

"I'm Rebecca," the woman continued and held out a hand.

Quinn tentatively shook it and introduced herself hesitantly, "Uh, Lucy," she fumbled. Well it _was_ one of her names.

"Lucy," the other blonde smirked and licked her lips. "Well, since you already offered an apology for nearly sending me flying to the dance floor, how about I buy you a drink to ease your mind a little more?"

"Uh..." Quinn said, leaning back into the nearby wall as the woman leaned into her, reaching up and stroking her arm once before finally resting her hand at Quinn's elbow. A waiter passed them and inadvertently hit them both on the shoulder, but the blonde seemed to pay no attention to it, instead fixing her stare more firmly into Quinn. As the waiter mumbled an apology and left, Quinn followed his retreating figure with wide, desperate eyes.

_No, no, no… please don't leave me here with her! _

Any other day, she could have just as easily fended off the blonde's advances, but the looks she was giving her coupled with her earlier thoughts about Rachel and, well, Quinn was only human after all and was rendered near speechless and rooted to her spot. That was, until a familiar voice came to her rescue.

"Hey..." Rachel's distinct rasp said, spurning herself into action as she crossed to Quinn's side. She had been on her way to the bathroom when she saw the blonde being held up in the corner alcove by the rather aggressive woman and she could see from Quinn's expression that her advances were decidedly not welcomed at all. "There you are sweetie." She reached over and took Quinn's right hand with her left, careful to interlace their fingers. She was more than ready to bitch out at the other blonde when she caught the girl's eyes and her defensive stance immediately softened. "Oh my God, Rebecca?"

Quinn looked on as the taller blonde squinted under the lighting before recognition dawned on her face. "Rachel Berry?" she exclaimed with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same time. Quinn, now intensely confused of the situation, stood quietly on the side and watched as Rachel and the Rebecca girl exchange surprised shrieks before engulfing each other in a tight hug.

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Rebecca asked Rachel, completely forgetting about Quinn at that moment.

"Film break," Rachel grinned widely. "What about you? I thought you were in Madrid doing that internship?"

"I needed a break," Rebecca replied just as giddily. "So I took a few weeks off. I'm not due back until next month."

Quinn cleared her throat, reminding the two girls in front of her that she was still there.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," Rachel smiled apologetically. "Rebecca, this is Quinn. Quinn, Rebecca."

"Wait, _Quinn_?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you said your name was Lucy?"

"Uh, it is," Quinn quickly explained. "Well, it's my middle name. My first name is Quinn."

"Quinn," Rebecca allowed the name to roll off her tongue. "I like it." She then looked between Quinn and Rachel. "So you two are...?"

"No!" Rachel spoke quickly. A bit too quickly, actually, and Quinn frowned. Rachel caught the flash of hurt on Quinn's face and immediately felt like an ass. "I mean, uh, no, uh, we aren't, um dating," she explained, well, fumbled was more like it. _Dating? _she snorted internally. _Yeah, only in my wildest and most vivid dreams!_

"You aren't?" Rebecca asked, a bit confused.

"Um, yeah. That was, just uh, you know," Rachel continued to work her mouth, attempting to come up with a more coherent response. Thankfully, Rebecca saved her from the trouble.

"Oh, I see," Rebecca grinned knowingly. "The old she's-my-girlfriend-but-not-really trick to ward off any unwanted advances?"

"Yes, definitely," Rachel nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed but not really knowing why since she was just looking out for Quinn. Or at least that's what she told herself _now_ because if you had asked earlier, the only thought running through her mind was: _who was that bitch and why was she touching Quinn?_

"I get it," Rebecca laughed, turning to face Quinn and casting her a sultry look, her eyes once again raking up and down the other blonde's form. "Plus, she's gorgeous." Rebecca continued, her eyes never taking off Quinn. "If she were my friend I'd probably be doing the same thing."

Quinn gulped and turned her gaze to Rachel's, her eyebrows scrunching a little at the look on the brunette's face. Okay, that's new, she thought to herself as she tried to decipher the expression Rachel wore. Was that... jealousy?

Rachel quickly averted her gaze from Quinn and turned to Rebecca. "So, uh, are you here alone?"

"Actually, no. I'm here with my cousin and her friends but," Rebecca craned her neck and looked around the club, "I can't seem to find them anywhere at the moment."

"You wanna join us?" _No, no, no, Rachel what are you doing!_ "Mercedes and the others are here as well and I doubt they'd be happy if you didn't at least say hi."

"They are?" Rebecca looked around the club again. "I don't know, Rach. I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense," Rachel waved her hand in the air. Before Rebecca could further protest, and despite her own subconscious screaming at her no, she grabbed the taller gil and Quinn's hand and dragged both blondes back to their table.

"Look who I found," she announced to the group and presented Rebecca.

"Oh my God, Rebecca!" Kurt and Mercedes shrieked, rushing up to the girl and hugging the life out of her.

"Hello girls," Rebecca laughed softly.

"Doth my eye deceive me? Rebecca Nicole Forrester, is that really you?" Jesse walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug as well.

"Dude, don't hog the poor girl," Sam grinned. "Come here you!"

Finally there was Tina, the milder tempered of the bunch, who simply flashed her a warm smile before kissing the blonde on the cheek and hugging her as well.

"And this is Zara," Rachel introduced the other blonde royal.

"Wait, Zara Phillips?" Rebecca's eyes went wide. She looked back at Quinn and if it were possible, her eyes became even wider. "And you're Quinn! Quinn Fabray! Oh my God!"

"Yes, that would be correct, Becs," Rachel laughed at the other girl's awestruck expression.

"Wait a minute." Rebecca looked between Rachel and Quinn. "When you said you two were just friends..." She squinted a bit, trying to figure out the real score behind the girls' relationship.

"Uh, yeah?" Rachel took her seat on the other side of the booth and cast an uneasy glance at Quinn.

"That's not exactly what people are saying," Rebecca insisted, taking the empty seat nearest to Quinn.

Rachel rolled her eyes. She briefly glanced at Quinn again and saw her face scrunch up uncomfortably. "Since when did you start believing in what other people are saying? You know they're just lies, anyway."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows, still a little unconvinced. "I don't know. I mean, what about those pictures? You two looked awfully cozy in those shots. And you know OK! Magazine never lies."

She knew the blonde was just teasing her, so Rachel shrugged it off as nonchalantly as possible. "Seriously, Becs. We're just friends." She caught Quinn's eyes and smiled, silently apologizing for the other girl's badgering.

"Mmm," Rebecca continued to eye both girls. "So you two aren't really…?"

"For the last time, Rebecca, no!" Rachel laughed, missing the downplayed hurt flash across Quinn's face at the too casual dismissal. "Quinn and I are good friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Fine, fine. No need to get your knickers up in a bunch," Rebecca laughed. Seeing that as her green light, she shifted a bit closer to the flushed royal and leaned forward on the table, propping her chin up on her hand. "So, your highness, does that mean you really are single?"

"Afraid so," Quinn forced a smile and shrugged.

"Huh," Rebecca drawled. "Now _that_ I find hard to believe."

Quinn blushed and ducked her head. When she looked up again, Rebecca continued to hold her gaze, and she immediately recognized that predatory glint she saw from their earlier encounter.

_Oh, boy. Here we go again._ She gulped silently and wriggled awkwardly in her seat. Rachel, meanwhile, regarded both girls with terrible unease. Why, oh, why did she have to open her big mouth and invite Rebecca over here? The girl, albeit one of her closest friends, was a notorious man, well, _woman_eater and now she basically offered Quinn to the other blonde on a silver platter free for the taking. _You're such an idiot, Berry,_ she berated herself not for the last time that night.

Unknown to the three (and the rest of the table), Zara and Tina had been watching the exchange with amused smirks, and one thought echoed between them – this was going to be an interesting night indeed.

* * *

The physical sensations of the next hour could have been more quickly and cheaply acquired by driving jagged, acid-tipped slivers of glass directly into Rachel's heart. Instead, she sat at the table and watched Quinn and Rebecca talk and dance. At least the music was fast—no full-body pressing. But that was painful, too. Sure, Quinn was a notoriously shy girl, but the blonde seemed to leave her insecurities behind when her body was in motion. Rachel sat miserably in a state of grief, rage, and belly-wrenching lust as she watched Quinn's sinuous movements.

_It always has to be the quiet ones,_ Rachel observed, her nose scrunching up peevishly.

Rebecca obviously appreciated Quinn's physical gifts as well. She was perhaps two inches taller than Quinn, and Rachel could see the curve of Quinn's throat and jaw whenever she looked up slightly at the blonde Aussie. When Quinn danced with one hand resting on her belly, Rachel imagined how her skin was moving, swaying under that palm. When she occasionally brought her arms up, pulling her hair back, Rachel could only swallow heavily as Quinn's breasts pushed against her champagne halter, highlighting her silhouette.

The song ended, and Quinn and Rebecca made their way back to their seat, smiling softly.

Quinn plunked herself next to Rachel and smiled warmly. "So, when are you going to wow us with your awesome dance moves, Rach?"

"Uh, probably next to never," Rachel snorted. "I don't dance," she said simply. Truth was she of course _loved_ to dance. She just wasn't in the mood, even for Quinn.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course she does," Rebecca grinned, taking a sip from her blue margarita. "She's a _brilliant_ dancer. She's just too modest to own up to it."

"Is that right?" Quinn cocked an eyebrow.

"The only way either one of you are getting me to go down there is if I had at least ten more shots of these and drunk out of my mind," Rachel held up the brightly colored tube drink in her hand and waved it about.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Waiter!" Quinn, a bit inebriated herself, flagged down a passing waiter and ordered more of the tubey drinks Rachel was having. Rachel, not at all feeling up to protesting, sank back in her seat and downed the remaining contents of her drink. She figured at the rate things were going, a couple more shots were definitely in order.

A while later, Rachel was downing her ninth tubey shot while gazing at Quinn discreetly, or as discreetly as a half-drunken person could. She liked feeling kind of light-headed, but she inwardly berated herself for drinking. Her body had now a mind of its own, and all she wanted to do was grab Quinn in a huge embrace and kiss her until she fainted. She had already caught her hand moving towards Quinn's thigh a couple of times and finally decided to clasp her hands in her lap securely. She felt the ache of having to restrain herself start again, and she swallowed audibly a fresh wave of sadness as she looked to Quinn's right where Rebecca had an arm draped around her seat possessively as she flirted with her.

_So close, yet so far away._

The deep pulsating beat followed by the buzz saw of a distorted electric guitar broke through the dance floor, and Rachel blinked before flying out of her seat as the DJ started up another song. "I gotta dance to this one," she shouted to a stunned Quinn, grabbing the blonde's wrist and pulling her towards the dance floor. "Come on!"

"I thought you said there was no way we were getting you on the dance floor?" Quinn stumbled a bit and looked back at Rebecca whom she swore was glaring at them.

"I changed my mind," Rachel exclaimed, smiling over her shoulder at Quinn.

Quinn gulped but gamely followed the brunette through the sea of people, ending up amidst a mass of bodies, flashing lights and pulsating beats that seemed to come from everywhere. "What's with the sudden assertiveness? Not that I'm complaining."

_From all the drugs the one I like more is music  
From all the junks the one I need more is music  
From all the boys the one I take home is music  
From all the ladies the one I kiss is music…_

"Sorry," Rachel yelled back, placing her hands on Quinn's waist to steady her. "You ok?"

_Music is my boyfriend  
Music is my girlfriend  
Music is my dead end  
Music is my imaginary friend_

"Fine," Quinn grinned, her body beginning to move to the heavy bass and electric guitar riffs of its own accord. "Cansei De Ser Sexy, right?"

"Yeah, Music Is My Hot Hot Sex." Rachel returned the grin, and Quinn found herself nearly melting into a puddle of mush at the predatory look the brunette was sending her.

_From all the drinks the one I get drunk is music  
From all the bitches the one I wannabe is music_

Rachel more felt than heard the music as she moved easily within the tiny amount of space the two had secured for themselves between the other clubbers. The vibration of the beats thrummed against her from all angles, aiding her in losing herself to the music and just dancing without thinking. She closed her eyes and smiled.

_Music is my hot hot bath  
Music is my hot hot sex  
Music is my back rub  
Music is where I'd like you to touch_

The beat grew wilder, the lyrics sexier and sexier, and Rachel let herself go fully. She managed to get Quinn very close to her, hip to hip, one arm around her waist, swaying in time to the music. Little electric currents were running through Quinn's veins at the contact. _Okaybreatheinbreatheoutbreatheinbreatheout_. Her thoughts were bouncing around her head at a mile a minute. _Geez, thank God I'm not a guy, or else there would most certainly be visible indications that she is driving me wild!_

"You don't mind, do you?" Rachel asked, feeling her body react to the heat radiating off the other girl. _Hoo boy, Berry. What the hell are you doing? You better stop before you end up doing something you'll regret_. But she was getting sick and tired of holding back, not to mention she'd had to endure nearly an hour of Rebecca practically salivating after Quinn while the hazel-eyed blonde just sat there and took it happily. The abundant flow of alcohol in her veins clouding her better judgment wasn't helping matters any either, so she just allowed herself to bask in the moment and damn the consequences. At least for the time being. "This just doesn't seem like the type of song you dance to alone."

"Um, no. No minding here," Quinn blurted. _Liar! You're going straight to Hell, Fabray._"Perfectly fine with me."

"Good, then could you maybe put your arms around my waist or something? `Cause I think this is starting to look pretty silly."

"Hm?" Quinn glanced down and realized that Rachel was probably right. It would be a somewhat stupid display seeing two girls dancing together when one had her arms around the other's neck, and the other simply let her arms hang limply down her sides. "Oh! Right, I got it."

Quinn fought to relax as she let her arms come up and encircle the brunette's waist. This was so wrong. Rachel was obviously drunk, but damn it, it felt so right. _Enough analyzing. Just let go already. Deal with the consequences if they arise. _She was concentrating so hard on behaving herself that she barely noticed when the song had ended. Fingers snapped in front of her eyes, bringing her out of neverneverland.

"Hello? Earth to Quinn."

"Umm…sorry. I guess I got a little carried away there, huh?"

Rachel's laughter rang in Quinn's ears like tiny silver bells. "Not hardly. Come on, it's almost 1am. How about we hit another club? No sense in spending all our time in one place when we could be painting the town red."

"Um, yes, sure, of course." Quinn's eyes brightened as she thought, _As long as I'd get to share another dance with you, I'll go to the bowels of hell and back.  
_  
Rachel, feeling a little dizzy from the head and adrenaline rush dancing so close to Quinn brought her, chuckled and shook her head. Once again acquiring Quinn's hand, they left the dance floor and joined their friends. They left 1936 and headed off to the other quintessential nightspots that awaited their arrival.

* * *

Nearly three and a half hours and around half a dozen clubs later, Rachel and her friends found themselves stumbling through the entrance of their borrowed beach house. Rebecca had separated from them at their second to the last club stop when they bumped into the blonde's cousin and friends. The Aussie native had given Quinn her number and told the blonde to give her a ring when she can. Thankfully, Rachel was already past borderline drunk at that point and hadn't seen the exchange, otherwise the brunette would have most likely ripped the green-eyed blonde a new one. At least that's what Tina feared would have happened had her best friend bore witness to the number swapping.

"Ugh," Tina moaned. "I am so beat up."

"Me too," Kurt groaned in response. "I can't _wait_ for the pounding headache to start," he added sarcastically.

"Rach?" Quinn's voice eased into Rachel's subconscious.

"Yes?"

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine, just dandy," she replied groggily, her words slurring sloppily. Man, who was she kidding? She was plastered like hell. She tried to straighten herself up, but her jelly-like legs weren't feeling the most cooperative and she ended up slumping against a warm body for support.

Quinn, who had refrained from drinking too much, looked down at Rachel's sagging body being supported by her own. _Even drunk she's gorgeous_, Quinn felt a pleasant pang in her chest at the sight of the brunette's adorably flushed face.

"This one's down for the count," she told the others who had taken purchase on the nearest available surface. Kurt and Mercedes were sprawled out on the long couch in the living room with Jesse sitting half-unconscious at the foot on the floor while Zara and Tina occupied the smaller ones on the opposite side. She looked around and saw Sam passed out on the futon by the stairwell and she had to stifle a laugh.

"Wasso funny?" Rachel mumbled at her side, her eyelids fighting to stay open.

"Nothing. Come on, let's get you to bed." She grasped Rachel's hips as she lifted the brunette higher up on her shoulder. Wordlessly, she carried the girl up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. After struggling with the door a bit, she finally pushed it open and made her way inside. She grunted heavily as she set Rachel down on the bed.

Who knew the girl was so heavy when unconscious?

Quinn proceeded to remove Rachel's shoes and tossed them under the bed. She lifted the blanket out from under the other girl and tucked Rachel in. The brunette was fast asleep now, her hair unruly and wild while some of her make-up had become smeared. Even in such an unkempt state, Quinn thought Rachel was the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on.

After taking a few more minutes to just silently gaze and admire the girl's profile, Quinn sighed, a faint smile curling her lips. Tonight had been perfect. Save maybe for the few little mishaps at 1936, it really had been beyond perfect.

Slowly she bent down, and placed a feather light kiss on the brunette's forehead. "Goodnight, my princess." She pulled back smiling, and then quietly left the room feeling more alive than she had since arriving at Cairns.


	12. Kill Me Romantically

**Chapter 11:** **Kill Me Romantically**

Rachel woke up to what felt like the blaring sounds of a marching band convoy parading around mercilessly to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in her head.

_Somebody please shoot me! _she moaned behind her pillow. She hated hangovers with a vengeance. Nothing good ever really came out of them.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, willing the trumpets and drums to stop using her cranium as a practice podium. It definitely didn't help matters any when a slideshow of last night's events flashed through her mind.

A mutter of curses escaped her lips as she remembered Rebecca's shameless flirting with Quinn, which of course led to her drinking to the point where her inhibitions (and good sense) had gone bye-bye and everything after that swirled into a messy portrait of sloppy dancing and more than probably several acts of self-humiliation.

_I am never drinking again,_ she vowed with a groan, knowing very well she probably wouldn't last a second to that promise the next time another round of alcohol was offered to her.

The blinking of her bedside alarm showed her it was a little under half past twelve in the afternoon and she groaned. She knew she had to get up, but all she wanted to do at the moment was burrow into her duvet blanket and hide away from the world.

After a few more minutes of lounging around and trying to figure out an annoying nag at the back of her head, she finally gave up and got up from bed resigned to the fact that she won't be getting any additional hours of sleep and began the tortuous trek downstairs.

Once at the foot of the stairwell landing, she was met with the merry sounds and smells of Kurt making a late breakfast.

"Look what the cat finally dragged in," the boy in question greeted her with a grin. He was standing in front of the stove wearing a 'Cooks Are Sexy' apron preparing what looked to be bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs and waffles.

"Not so loud, _please_," Rachel rubbed her forehead tiredly. She plunked down on the seat next to Mercedes who wasn't looking any better than she did.

"Coffee?" her friend offered, holding up the pot of Americano her way.

"With a side of Tylenol please," she replied with a grateful nod. Mercedes smiled sympathetically and passed the bottle of pain relievers over as well.

Rachel sighed happily as she downed a single pill with her java. She could already feel some of the throbbing in her head dissipating.

"Good morning beautiful people!" Jesse entered the kitchen with a boisterous cheer. He failed to notice the death glares aimed at him by the two seated brunettes as he sauntered over to the plate of crisp bacon strips that Kurt had just removed from the pan.

"Why is everyone so goddamn cheery this morning?" Mercedes mumbled under her breath as she watched Kurt slap away Jesse's attempt at snagging a piece of the still piping hot strips.

Rachel merely shook her head, not understanding either how some of their friends could get up the next morning scathe-free after a night of binge drinking while they had to go through a mind-numbing case of the migraines.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked as Tina soon entered and joined the now bustling room.

"Sam is pretty much still dead as a log," Jesse answered, nursing a glass of orange juice as he waited with restrained patience for Kurt to finish the rest of his breakfast spread.

"That's no surprise," Mercedes snorted beside her.

"Well, what about-" her question was abruptly cut off when a very important thought suddenly occurred to her. Now that her brain wasn't as fogged up as it had been minutes ago, she nearly jumped up in panic as the wall clock confirmed the annoying nagging at the back of her head. In all her worrying and self-berating, her brain had conveniently skipped over the fact that she was meant to have lunch with Quinn and her cousin at the yacht club over thirty minutes ago!

"Whoa there! Where's the fire Rach?" Tina observed her frantic friend from the counter with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm supposed to take Quinn and Zara to the yacht club today!" Rachel exclaimed in horror. How could she forget? Damn it, she knew it was a bad idea to get smashed last night!

_See the consequences of drinking yourself silly?_ her subconscious berated her. _Shut up_, she indignantly shot back. _You'd have done it too if you had to sit through an entire night watching some girl throw herself at your crush!_

Too caught up in her internal debate with herself, Rachel didn't see Tina and Kurt's knowing exchange of looks nor did she notice her best friend crossing the room to halt her frenetic pacing.

"Easy Rach, or you're gonna end up introducing us again to last night's dinner," Tina placated their distressed friend. Rachel shot her an annoyed glare which managed to distract the brunette of her panic for a few seconds. "They actually decided that since you were pretty much out of it when we got back this morning, it'd be better to reschedule the reservations some other time."

"Oh." That managed to calm her down. So did that mean the two royals went back to bed or-

"They went down to the groceries to pick up a few things," Kurt answered the actress' unvoiced query. "Zara was going on about getting some key ingredients for her and Quinn's secret salad and ribs recipe."

"Yeah, they left about an hour ago or so, they should be back soon," Jesse added to the conversation. At the questioning looks he received from all three girls, he shrugged and said, "I saw them leave earlier."

"You've been awake all this time? Why didn't you come down and give me a hand?" Kurt asked a bit annoyed at the fact that he was deliberately left alone to slave away in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"And deprive you of treating us to your wonderful culinary skills? I think not!" Jesse replied smartly, barely dodging the sausage link thrown his way by the other boy.

Their onset mini food fight was interrupted by the familiar honking of their rented SUV outside the gated property.

They barely heard Jesse muttering "saved by the bell" before he practically flew out of the room to meet up the returning royals outside. Kurt shook his head, grumbling about boys being boys, and went back to finishing preparing the breakfast table. Mercedes and Tina busied themselves by helping Kurt while Rachel went outside to help Quinn and Zara with the groceries as well. She was barely out the door when Jesse burst back in with the two royals _plus one_ in tow. Rachel couldn't quite hide her dissatisfaction (and annoyance) when she saw just who the plus one was.

"Guess who Quinn and Zara found at the store!" Jesse's loud yell rang throughout the house.

"Rebecca." Rachel picked up her bearings and managed a smile through gritted teeth as she watched the buxom blonde enter the foyer with her arm wrapped possessively around Quinn's.

_What is _**_she_**_ doing here?_ the ugly green-eyed monster also known as jealousy ground out with a snarl.

"We bumped into this one at the wines section," Zara explained the other girl's unexpected presence. She slyly eyed Rachel's expression and hid her smirk at the barely concealed irritation written on the brunette's face. Oh, how she enjoyed these triangles!

"Even helped them pick out a really good merlot to go with the ribs," Rebecca held up the bottle in question with a beam and flourish.

"Rebecca!" Kurt, Tina and Mercedes exclaimed in mild surprise when they saw the group enter the kitchen.

"Morning girlies, or should I say afternoon?" Rebecca finally separated herself from Quinn to deposit the store-bought wine on the counter. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, surveying the finished table spread.

"Of course not! You know you're welcome over anytime," Jesse dismissed enthusiastically, unmindful of the clearly opposite opinion written on Rachel's face.

"Yeah, the more the merrier," Kurt added before he could help himself. He bit his lip and cringed when Tina subtly elbowed him on the side and nodded towards Rachel's direction. "Sorry," he mouthed apologetically to the girl when the others turned their attention to the new arrivals.

Tina sighed hopelessly and watched Rachel from the corner of her eye to gauge the other brunette's reaction. She could see her friend's jaw twitching despite the smile she was forcing out as she watched Rebecca resume her fawning over a slightly discomfited Quinn. And to think she thought they'd narrowly escaped last night's near disastrous affair. To her relief, Quinn politely excused herself from Rebecca and approached her sullen best friend.

"You okay?" Quinn asked with acute hesitance. She wasn't sure if she was asking the brunette about the morning after hangover she expected the actress to have, or Rebecca's presence. She had an inkling it probably was a combination of both.

"I'm fine," Rachel responded with a small smile. _Liar,_ her subconscious butted in. She bit back her mental reply and nodded when Quinn asked her if she was sure. "Like Kurt said, the more the merrier."

_Wrong! _she felt like yelling out loud. _More is definitely NOT merrier. Less is merrier. In fact, the two of us only is merrier_. She forced a bigger smile this time and hoped that Quinn would just bite and let it go already.

Somewhat, if not entirely, satisfied with the brunette's answer, Quinn nodded and went back to the island counter where Zara was excitedly telling the others about preparing their world-famous baby back ribs, grilled eggplant parmigiana and potato salad later that night for dinner. Rachel watched Rebecca flash a dazzling smile Quinn's way and possessively attach herself back to the other blonde's side when the royal was within arm's length.

Yep, Rachel concluded with a heavy sigh. This was definitely going to be another long day.

* * *

"And then it let out this truly ungodly stench…"

Quinn tuned Rebecca's droning out, giving a requisite verbal head nod every now and then. There were other pressing issues she was currently more involved with than the blonde Aussie's recount of her encounter with the elusive Barbary Macaque, namely a certain brown-eyed brunette's sudden aloofness with the present company. More so her than anyone else.

Rachel had been uncharacteristically distant with the blonde royal that particular afternoon, and Quinn was getting more and more worried as the lateness passed by. It was now two-thirty in the afternoon, a bit over two hours since she and Zara got back with their surprise visitor, and the only words she and the brunette actress had exchanged since then were "thanks" and "pass the maple syrup, please".

_Did I do something wrong?_ Quinn asked herself, glancing at the brunette every now and then. _Was it something I said last night? Was it something I did?_ The blonde's eyebrows shot up and she bit her lip. _What if all the dancing from last night was too much?_

She tried to wrack her brain, trying to remember any instances where she might have accidentally crossed the friendship line over the past twenty-four hours.

_No, it couldn't have been the dancing,_ Quinn mentally crossed that out of her list. There had definitely been no naughty touching involved. In fact, the brunette was extra touchy feely last night with practically everybody.

_Everybody but Rebecca,_ her mind interjected. Although perhaps the brunette just wasn't comfortable with the blonde Aussie's flirtatious nature. _Rachel can be pretty reserved given the occasion_, she nodded to herself.

So what was it then?

Quinn's eyes widened as she remembered something that happened at the very end of their night out. Or more specifically, something _she_ did.

But wasn't the brunette pretty much out of it when she delivered that tiny, itty-bitty, barely even noticeable kiss on her forehead? There couldn't have been any way that Rachel had felt it. Unless she was just faking unconsciousness.

Quinn frowned. Sure, the brunette was a terrific actress, but Quinn highly doubted Rachel could've pulled that one off without her noticing. Okay, so if that wasn't it, well then what in the bloody hell could it have been?

While Quinn mulled over all the possible reasons the brunette could be upset over, Rachel was doing a little stewing herself. Hers on the other hand wasn't fired by confusion, but more by jealousy. Or was it envy? What really was the difference between those two anyway?

In any case, Rachel was trying her hardest in holding back the stinky eye she had been throwing Rebecca's way all afternoon.

The green-eyed Aussie had been doing nothing but flirt shamelessly with Quinn – flaunting it even. And Rachel was nearing her brink of self-control before she let go and got all cavewoman-possessive over her blonde object of affection.

_It just isn't fair,_ Rachel mentally shot daggers towards Rebecca. _Why does she get to freely touch and drape herself over Quinn like she was some coat rack freestanding for all to fondle?_

_Well, first of all she isn't scared to throw all her cards out on the table, unlike some people, _that annoying voice at the back of her head argued back again. _And second of all…_

_Oh, just shut up! _Rachel growled lowly, the rumbling rolling upwards the back of her throat. The noise, although fairly low, caught the attention of Sam and Kurt, who were both seated a few chairs over. Kurt merely turned to her and raised a questioning eyebrow. Sam on the other hand, clueless as usual, vocalized his curiosity.

"You okay, Rach?"

Rachel blushed bright red. _Busted!_

"Uh, yeah. Just clearing my throat is all."

"You sure? I thought I distinctly heard a growl."

If looks could kill the poor boy would've been dead three times over. Tina rolled her eyes and Kurt subtly elbowed him, while Rachel blushed an ever darker shade of red if that was at all possible.

"Actually, you're right. It's my stomach. It's uh, I'm getting kinda hungry," Rachel stuttered out hastily as she quickly stood up and tried to locate the nearest escape route.

"But didn't you just eat like, an hour ago?"

Good golly, that boy was persistent!

This time Kurt and Tina both shook their heads. Even Zara, who had been caught up in picture viewing the files in Rebecca's digicam, and Quinn, who was still trying to figure out what she'd done wrong, were able to notice the look of discomfort on the brunette actress's face.

"I have a fast metabolism, so sue me," Rachel finally snapped back. Embarrassed and aggravated, she stormed back into the house leaving almost everybody with a questioning look on their faces at her retreat.

"Someone's on their rag," Sam joked offhandedly. Apparently he still didn't get the memo that he was _thisclose_ to getting his rear kicked from here to Timbuktu.

"Oh, will you just shut up?!" Tina scolded, her piercing look finally quieting their clueless friend. Sam held up his hands in defense wearing a 'what did I do?' expression.

"I'll go check on her," Quinn, seeing both Kurt and Tina's faces painted with matching scowls and narrowed eyes that held death glares directed squarely at Sam that would've made a lesser man pee his pants in fear, stood up and volunteered. Silently thanking her, Tina and the others followed the blonde royal's retreating figure back to the house.

"Seriously, what did I do?" Sam blurted out as soon as Quinn was out of ear shot. A collective round of groans met him and he winced when a pelting of Macadamias came hurtling his way, mostly from Tina and Kurt.

"You know, for someone who's looking for a career in software engineering, you can be so clueless at times," Jesse sighed and patted his friend's back empathetically.

"Boys," all remaining four girls and Kurt mumbled.

Even Rebecca was intuitive enough to figure out that her long-time friend had been acting a bit off that afternoon. She didn't exactly know why, but she had an inkling that it might just have something to do with a certain blonde, hazel-eyed royal. Whatever it was, she'd figure out eventually. The blonde loved nothing more than a good puzzle to solve. But for now, she was more interested in showing off the rest of her photographic journal to the other royal remaining in the building.

* * *

Quinn entered the kitchen and saw Rachel standing in front of the fridge with her head stuck inside the freezer, apparently cooling herself off. Amused, she quietly walked over to the brunette, who seemed to still be off in her own world seeing as she didn't even notice when the other girl was stood behind her.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Rachel started at the contact.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm chipper," the other girl replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Talk to me Rach. What are you thinking about?" Quinn asked, her eyes boring into Rachel's when the brunette finally turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Rachel let out a nervous laugh and moved to grab a glass off the counter. She suddenly felt incredibly parched, her throat feeling like the dry Sahara on a hot summer day. _Damn it! What is going on with me?_

Quinn eyed the other girl cautiously, watching as she filled the empty glass with water and gulp the contents down in one swig. The brunette's hand was shaking. _Okay, now I really want to know what's going on._

Rachel jumped again when she felt Quinn's hand on her shoulder once more. She shivered as she felt those fingers grip down and softly, albeit forcefully, turn her back around.

"Come on, Rach. I'm not blind," Quinn laughed somewhat bitterly. There was nothing she hated more than this, this feeling of helplessness and being obviously lied to. She'd expected more from the brunette. They'd become the closest of friends, best friends in fact, and it was killing her to be on the receiving end of the other girl's silent treatment. "What's been going on with you?"

"Honest Quinn, I really have no idea what you're talking about," she stated calmly, pulling out the naïve and oblivious card. She winced at the pleading and broken look she found when she was met head on by Quinn's swirling hazels.

After a tense minute, Quinn sighed heavily and finally relented. Fine, if Rachel wasn't going to be honest with her and tell her what was going on, she was going to have to look elsewhere to get her answers.

Rachel bit her lip and her heart clenched when Quinn drew back and shook her head. The royal was obviously disappointed at her lack of response, and it pained Rachel to no end.

But what was she supposed to say? Oh hey Quinn, the reason why I've felt so crummy lately is because I'm so in love with you that it makes my skin crawl to see someone else touch you! Yeah, that would go over real well. So well that Rachel would be lucky if the blonde would even look at her afterwards without any hint of disgust or pity.

_Why do I always get myself stuck in these kinds of situations?_ Rachel heaved out a sigh and approached Quinn who was leaning against the kitchen sink with a despondent expression as she inspected her nails.

"Look Quinn," she started. She waited until the blonde looked up before continuing. "I know you probably don't believe me, but trust me when I say it's _nothing_."

She licked her lips and tentatively took one of Quinn's hands in hers and gave it a squeeze. "It's just some girly stuff. Plus, I haven't exactly fully recovered from my colossal hangover, so my head's probably not yet turned up straight."

Quinn couldn't help the barely restrained snort that bubbled up and she and Rachel shared a quiet chuckle.

"You're sure nothing's wrong?" Quinn checked one more time after a much more comfortable silence passed.

"I'm sure," Rachel grinned, her dimples making an appearance and Quinn felt herself melting that much more. "Does this look like a face that would lie?"

A decidedly very unladylike snort came out this time as Quinn let out a genuine laugh.

"No, it certainly doesn't," Quinn rolled her eyes and took hold of Rachel's hand. She grinned mischievously. "Come on, they're probably wondering if we're still alive or if you've managed to eat me whole."

"Hey!" Rachel swatted the blonde playfully, though inside she was thinking, _Oh, you have no idea Fabray_. She blushed at her not so innocent thoughts and glowered jokingly at the royal.

"What?" Quinn innocently shrugged. "You should've seen Sam's face after you left. I swear to God he actually looked like he might piss his pants from the looks the girls were throwing at him."

"Serves him right," Rachel nodded smugly. She stopped in her tracks and nearly walked into the blonde when Quinn stopped short of the glass sliding doors. "What's wrong?"

"We're okay, right?" Quinn asked her seriously one last time.

"Quinn," Rachel sighed and blew at her bangs. "I told you, we're fine. Please take my word for it?"

"Alright," Quinn acquiesced. "But promise me if anything's bothering you, _anything_ at all, you'll tell me, okay?"

Rachel nodded and tensed when Quinn leaned in and nearly closed the entire gap of space between them. She could smell the blonde royal's dizzying scent of apricot, lilies and grapefruit, no doubt care of a combination of the girl's body lotion and unique body scent. Rachel swallowed, fighting back the urge to throw all her worries away and just lunge at the blonde.

_Okay, deep breaths Rachel. That's it. One…two…three…_

Quinn chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully as she gazed directly into Rachel's chocolate orbs, watching as they appeared to somehow darken into an almost deep onyx. _God, she's so beautiful._

After allowing herself another quick indulgent second, she reached up with a steady hand and tucked a wayward curl behind the other girl's ear. She smiled when she heard Rachel's small intake of air.

_Okay, Fabray. Don't get too excited. She might just be uncomfortable with you invading her personal space._

Quinn licked her lips, managing to get some of her restraint back before she lost it and pushed the girl back into the nearest wall and kissed the life out of her.

"I need you to say it," Quinn croaked out. "_Please_."

"I promise," Rachel vowed, her voice no more than a breathy whisper between the tension filled space separating her from the other girl.

"Good."

After realizing the heaviness of the moment, both girls ducked their heads down trying to hide the obvious blush coloring their cheeks.

"Come on," Quinn held her hand out to Rachel who meekly took it in hers. She gave the brunette a full-blown grin and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Let's go back out there and join our friends."


	13. I Want You To Want Me (Part I)

**Chapter 12:** **I Want You To Want Me**

"Dude, those two are classic," Sam managed in between his bouts of laughter. "Effin' classic, man!"

They'd just finished watching _Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle_ and everyone was picking themselves up from the floor (and couch) after laughing themselves silly.

"Never gets old," Jesse agreed wholeheartedly, it was definitely listed in his top 5 all-time favorites.

"I still can't believe you two have never seen it before," Rachel told Quinn and Zara for the fourth time that night.

After everyone had finished tucking away the scrumptious meal the two royals cooked up for dinner, Mercedes had proposed they watch a movie and Rachel barely beat Sam and Jesse to the punch when she suggested the Kal Penn and John Cho comedy. It was one of the group's favorite movies, a rarity since there had only been one other time all six of them had ever agreed on something with no contest.

So when Quinn and Zara had scratched their heads and asked them what the movie was about, everyone stared at them in abject shock. Even Rachel, who was normally the more calm and cool-headed of the group, barely contained her horror. After muttering how it was utter blasphemy the blonde royals had never seen the movie, she gave the two cousins a quick summary of the plot while dragging them to the den and instructing Jesse to fetch her DVD copy from upstairs.

"I know, I know. And you're positively right," Quinn assured the still disbelieving brunette. "It's most definitely one of the funniest movies ever made."

"Yeah, and I can't believe that it took us this long to even actually hear of it either," Zara added with a shake of her head. "Francis and Peter are usually on top of everything remotely American Pie-ish and they'd never mentioned Harold & Kumar ever."

"They both have an obscene crush on Shannon Elizabeth," Quinn explained her brother and other cousin's favoring of the raunchy American title.

"Now I'm craving some of those White Castle burgers," Rebecca complained from where she was seated.

"I know, me too," Kurt nodded, absently picking up the remaining bowl of chips from the table and taking a handful. "It's been so long since I've had one."

"Are they really that good?" Zara asked, curious to know if the square-shaped burgers were in fact as good as the film's main characters made them out to be.

"Are you kidding? They're like small pieces of heaven in each bite," Rebecca snatched the bowl from Kurt and proceeded to munch on handfuls as well.

Kurt frowned and snatched the bowl back.

"Totally," he agreed with the blonde Aussie who decided to let him be and grabbed the nearest bowl of popcorn instead. He stared off dreamily and sighed. "Just thinking about those tender little White Castle burgers with those little, itty-bitty grilled onions that just explode in your mouth like flavor crystals every time you bite into one..."

"... just makes me want to burn this motherfucker down!" Sam butted in, finishing the other boy's quote from the movie. "Come on, Pookie, let's burn this motherfucker down!"

"Nah, man," Jesse shook his head and grinned. "Best quote of the movie has to be NPH: _I made some love stains in the back. You'll see..._"

"God, ew!" Mercedes made a face and shook her head. "That was just disgusting. Hilarious, but disgusting. No, best one was definitely Kumar: _Thank you, come again!_"

"Kal Penn's delivery was spot on," Kurt nodded as he laughed at his friend's impersonation.

"Ooh, what about when Kumar was like, "_Come on dad_" and Dr. Patel said, _"Daddy is not coming on anything!_" Zara joined in. "Now that was brilliant delivery and writing."

Pretty soon everyone began joining the conversation and sharing their favorite quotes and scenes from the movie. No one paid that much attention when Rachel quietly excused herself to go to the kitchen.

No one, besides Tina that is.

The brunette had been keeping a close eye on her best friend since that afternoon after Rachel had abruptly stormed off. She had been more than relieved when Quinn took it upon herself and went after the brunette, and was even more so when the twosome finally went back outside to join them and were smiling and holding hands. Tina had raised a curious eyebrow at that. But what peaked her interest more was when she noticed Zara doing the same out of the corner of her eye as well. She'd made a mental note to ask Rachel about the gesture, but the brunette had been more than impossible to corner into the entire day. Seeing the actress leave the room, she finally took that as her opening and excused herself as well.

She found her friend standing arms crossed in front of the kitchen sink gazing outside the window contemplatively. She cleared her throat loud enough to get the other girl's attention, and when the brunette turned her gaze at her, she frowned slightly at the lackluster look on the girl's face.

"You okay?" she asked her friend softly as she made her way across the threshold.

_Am I okay?_ Rachel bit her lower lip at the question. It seemed she was asked that several times today. _Well, let's see. Despite the fact that I thought I'd be able to stand it, watching someone else all over Quinn was definitely a lot harder to handle than I'd expected._

Especially when the blonde in question appeared to have been receptive and looked to have even enjoyed her other friend's advances.

Rachel wanted to say 'No' to Tina's question, to just go ahead and get that off her chest, but instead what came out was a quiet, "Yeah."

Tina eyed her warily, suspicious of the despondent tone in the brunette's response.

"You sure about that?"

"Totally. Why wouldn't I be?" Rachel deflected the girl's question.

_Ah, the old avoiding a question with another question tactic,_ Tina inwardly sighed. This was gong to be a lot harder than she thought.

"I don't know Rach, you tell me." She approached the other girl slowly. She leaned against the back of a nearby chair just across from where Rachel was stood and met the brunette's eyes head on. "You've been really quiet. More so than usual. And I'm getting kinda worried."

Rachel simply looked at her friend. Tina had always been very perceptive, specially with her than anyone else in the group, and though she wanted nothing more than to open up to her longtime friend and tell her everything she was feeling, she just couldn't find it anywhere in her to do so. At least not yet.

"Seriously T, I'm fine," Rachel replied with a casual wave, hoping the girl would let it go for now. "It's probably just some of the leftover hangover from last night."

Just as Quinn had done earlier, Tina acquiesced and decided to back off. _For now. _She sighed and moved to Rachel's side.

"All right, if you say so. But if you're having problems, personal or otherwise, you'd tell me right?"

Rachel smiled genuinely and gave Tina's hand a squeeze. "You know it," she assured the obviously still worried girl.

The two friends smiled at each other, an obvious unspoken agreement made. They were allotted another two seconds of comfortable silence before Kurt barged into the kitchen bouncing excitedly.

"What's going on?" Rachel straightened herself up. She watched the boy rummage into the stocked pantry with a curious eye.

"We are making S'mores," Kurt declared after successfully pulling out a couple of bags of marshmallows and graham crackers. "Here, catch!"

Rachel caught the fluffy bags of marshmallows and raised an eyebrow. She turned to Tina and the other brunette simply shrugged.

"S'mores?" she repeated.

"Yep," Kurt grinned and held out the last ingredient of the campfire dessert favorite. Those bags caught Tina's immediate attention and she quickly walked up next to the lanky boy.

"You're not gonna use all of them are you?" she asked, her eyes wide and her frown on full display.

Kurt merely rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Tina," he appeased the frantic girl who was trying to snatch back the few bags of Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars from him. "We'll just stop by the grocer's tomorrow and get some more. He he…some more, S'more. D'you get that?"

"Yes, ha ha, very funny." Tina replied, her eye roll more sarcastic than usual. She made another futile attempt to save at least one bag of the chocolate treats.

Kurt frowned and held the bags he had in his hands up in the air as far away from the girl as he could.

Rachel looked on amused as the two continued bickering. After a few more seconds of watching the two exchange banters of "We need them!" and "_I_ need them!", she decided to break the ridiculous argument up and got in-between the two.

"All right, break it up," she pushed the two away from each other and turned to Tina. "Seriously, Tina. We know they're your favorites and that you'll die of chocolate deprivation if we ran out, but look at it this way: you still get to enjoy them tonight and I promise you as soon as the nearest grocery opens tomorrow morning, Kurt will personally run out and get you some new stock."

"Exactly," Kurt quipped from behind Rachel. "No, wait. Why do _I_ have to be the one to fetch her chocolate?"

Rachel flashed him a look and he immediately shut up.

"Hey, what's the hold up? Where are them S'mores?" Sam poked his head inside the kitchen.

"Here are the chocolates," Kurt tossed the few bags to him. As he passed the taller boy, he added, "You're so the one getting them tomorrow."

"Wait, get- getting what?" Sam followed the other boy out, Rachel and Tina trailing right behind him.

"Who's setting up the fire pit?" Rachel asked once they were all outside. She walked up next to the patio slate and marble fire pit and expectantly removed its cover.

"Oh, we're not using that," Jesse remarked as he carried a steel hand poker, a box of extra large matches and a gasoline pot on one hand and held a set of tiki fire torches in the other. "We're building the pit down on the beach."

"The beach? But isn't that dangerous?" Tina asked.

Jesse stopped at the top of the manicured beach path and thought for a moment.

"Not really, no. I mean, it's not like we're lighting it up near the bushes or trees or anything." He turned slightly and pointed towards the bank nearest to the ocean. "We'll be setting it up all the way down there."

"But it's already really dark out. How are we gonna be able to do that?" Tina persisted.

"Hence the reason why flashlights were built," Quinn held the portable light up and clicked it on. "See, not so dark anymore."

Rachel giggled at her friend's slight anxiety. Quinn threw her a mischievous grin and a wink, to which Rachel thanked it was nearly pitch black out and the blonde royal couldn't see her blushing hotly at the innocent gesture, all the while mentally cursing at Quinn's ability to turn her into complete mush with the smallest gestures. _Damn you, cupid. Damn you._

"Fine, fine. But if things get out of control and someone gets burned or a wildfire is set, don't say I never warned you," Tina grumbled. She looped her arm into Rachel's still slightly rooted form and begrudgingly dragged the brunette down to join the others.

* * *

"All right, what do you guys wanna sing?" Sam asked as he strummed a few notes on the guitar he brought out.

The gang was now gathered in front of the roaring fire roasting their third round of S'mores. It took them a while to set the pit up, but after fifteen more minutes of fumbling around, they managed to spark up the branches and twigs they gathered and maintained a fairly decent burning fire – all thanks to Quinn's efforts which the blonde royal humbly attributed to all the years spent camping with her father and brother.

"I know the perfect one," Jesse borrowed – _snatched_ – the guitar from the other boy and tuned it. He cleared his throat and began strumming, "_I love myself, I want you to love me…When I'm feelin' down, I want you above me…I search myself-_"

"God, you're such a perv!" Mercedes threw a small twig at him while the other girls laughed.

"What? It's a perfectly good song," Jesse grinned playfully.

Sam rolled his eyes at his friend's tomfoolery and took back the guitar. Once the laughter died down, he asked them a bit more seriously. "Come on ladies, any requests? A bonfire isn't complete without some acoustic sing-a-longs."

"Ooh! I know!" Zara stood up and planted herself down next to Sam and whispered to his ear quietly. Sam smiled and nodded agreeably with the request. "All right, this is was just recently released and was all over the radio so I'm pretty sure everyone knows it, so no excuses with the no singing along!"

He fine tuned the guitar one more time and started the first riffs of the familiar ballad.

"_Heart beats fast, colors and promises, how to be brave, how can I love when I'm afraid to fall…_"

As soon as the girls heard it, they squealed and clapped in approval. However, when the beginning tune drifted over to Quinn and Rachel, both girls blushed and dropped their eyes. Rachel was trying her best to hide the rapid reddening of her cheeks while Quinn discreetly threw her meddlesome cousin a glare that could melt even the most frozen icebergs.

"_You'll thank me later,_" Quinn barely made out Zara's mouthed response. She risked a glance over at Rachel and saw that the girl was shifting about uncomfortably in her seat.

_Great, now look what you did!_ If Zara had the ability to read minds, that was exactly what she would have heard Quinn angrily hiss at her.

She shrugged. As much fun as it was watching her cousin and the brunette dance around each other, there was only so much she could take as a spectator. She figured at the rate the two girls were going, it'd probably take an entire year before either one of them made a move, so she decided – quite brilliantly, she might add – to take things into her own hands and send a much needed subliminal message to both to help speed things up a bit.

Once the song ended, everyone – save for the very two girls the song was specifically dedicated to – clapped and whooped loudly.

"Play _Iris_ next!" Tina suggested raucously. It was her and the rest of the girls' – and the entire female population's for all she knew – favorite song.

As Sam happily started playing, Quinn stood up and quietly excused herself from the group. She barely heard Zara's question of where she was going as the need to flee overwhelmed her, especially if that second song was a preview of what the rest of the playlist request was going to be.

Before Rachel was even aware of the blonde royal's exit, Rebecca had already excused herself as well and took off towards Quinn's direction.

"Where's-"

"She went for a walk," Zara covered for her cousin's disappearance act. "Said she needed to burn off all the chocolate calories she'd consumed."

"Oh."

Rachel let out a sigh and squinted to where she could barely make out two figures walking along the shores in the distance. Was that-?

The question died on her lips when she turned back her attention to the group and noticed someone else was also missing.

Rebecca.

* * *

_I can't believe her,_ Quinn was shaking as she kicked some of the sand out of her path. _I really just can't believe her._

She was still fuming when she finally reached a quiet spot as far away from the cheerful bonfire as possible. She sat down on the driest area just short of the water in front of her.

_She _**_knew_**_ how uncomfortable it made me, but did she stop? Noooo…because she has the most ridiculous notion in her head that she had the right to play cupid and flit about with other people's business…_

Quinn knew that her cousin most probably had a good idea of her situation with Rachel by now. The other blonde royal had been pestering and teasing Quinn for the past few days now, and while Quinn neither denied or admitted to them, Zara pretty much pieced the puzzle together on her own the moment she'd spent another fifteen or so minutes with either girl in the other's presence.

_So much for subtlety,_ Quinn shook her head and hugged her knees to her chest.

She watched as the waves curled and lightly kissed her bare feet. She'd always found the calmness and serenity of the ocean soothing – it was a wonderful means of escape. And with how the night was closing in so far, she'd really needed the blast of fresh air to clear out her senses.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

The voice jarred Quinn out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Rebecca standing just a few feet away from her.

"They're not really worth much," Quinn smiled at her.

"I certainly beg to differ," Rebecca smirked and gestured at the spot beside her. "This seat taken?"

"For you? Twenty quids should do," Quinn grinned, watching the other blonde make a face but take the seat anyway. "Do you accept checks or does it have to be cash upfront?"

"Cash, please," Quinn humored the girl back. "Never been the biggest fan of checks. Who knows if you're being handed the real thing or just some bogus invoice."

"Of course."

A moment of silence passed between the two. It was comfortable, but not as comforting as it usually was when she was with Rachel.

"It's a beautiful night out isn't it?" Rebecca murmured quietly. She'd taken the same position Quinn had and was loosely hugging her knees to her chest.

"Yeah, it certainly is."

"And kind of romantic, too." Quinn glanced at her but didn't say anything. "You know what they say about full moons and surf-kissed beaches right?"

Rebecca peaked at the other girl and bit her lip.

"What?" Quinn finally replied and turned to look at her. She nearly flinched away when she noticed just how near the other girl was. _Oh, boy._

"Perfect setting to bring a date out to and…"

_And?_ Quinn gulped, her pulse picking up as Rebecca slowly closed the distance between them.

"…sing…"

The blonde was so close now – Quinn felt hypnotized by the green hues swirling in the other girl's eyes. The Aussie was definitely gorgeous, no doubt about that. And with mere centimeters separating them, Quinn's breath caught in her throat as she was fully exposed to the blonde's sex appeal. _Good Lord, Almighty…and I'm not even Catholic…_

_Not as intense as Rachel's though,_ her brain reminded her.

"_Baby when the lights go out, every single word could not express…the love and tenderness…_"

Quinn blinked, caught off guard by the other girl's breaking out into song.

"What?" she croaked out. She watched Rebecca chuckle, and pretty soon both girls were giggling like little school girls.

"What was that about?" Quinn managed once their laughter subsided.

"What, you've never heard of "When The Lights Go out"?"

"That's precisely it," Quinn grinned, teasing the other blonde. "You actually _listen_ to that gibberish?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that 5ive are not gibberish! They made great music, mind you," Rebecca pretended to be offended. "And as a young, naive seven year old when that song was released, I thought I'd fallen in love."

"With who? Let me guess, Abs? Or was it Scott who caught your fancy?"

"Neither thank you very much. It was Rich, I'll have you know," Rebecca sighed and made a big show of pouting. "I was utterly heartbroken when I found out that skank Billie Piper had gotten him off the market."

"I don't know. She was actually kind of cute." Quinn looked heavily amused when Rebecca made a face of pure disgust. "What? The girl was fit!"

Rebecca made a noise at the back of her throat. "Urgh, she so was not. And I thought you said their music was gibberish? Why is it you know so much about them?"

"Blame it on the pop explosion," Quinn sighed in contempt. "We were all exposed to it whether we liked it or not."

"And your crush on the Spice Girls was what exactly?"

Quinn gasped. "I was seven!"

She playfully pushed the cackling girl and rolled her eyes. This was why she hated being a royal so much. None of her secrets (and past mistakes) was ever safe. Especially in the hands of friends who'd use them as ammunition.

"All right, all right. Laugh it up. Ha ha. Very hilarious," Quinn grumbled, flicking some sand towards Rebecca's direction who was wiping away tears from her eyes.

"Aaw, it's okay. Everyone's a little guilty of crushing on those gals, especially Baby Spice." Rebecca grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," Quinn mumbled.

Rebecca chuckled at the sulked expression on the blonde royal's face. "So I'm right then?"

"About?"

"That Baby Spice was your crush," Rebecca raised a sly eyebrow. "Does that mean you have a thing for blondes with blue eyes?" _Or green,_ she mentally added.

"Had," Quinn corrected quietly. _Now I have a thing for brunettes with deep, chocolate brown eyes._

"Oh?" Rebecca was curious. Hadn't she read somewhere that the young princess had a strict preference for – how had the tabloids put it? – leggy blondes with blue eyes? "So what's your current type then?"

Quinn squirmed in her seat. "Erm, I don't really have a type." _Yes you do!_ her subconscious yelled back. _And she's tanned and American and with a smoky voice…_

"You're right," Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. "I actually find having a type deeply confining. Like when you don't find the right person with the exact eye or hair color, or musical preference, you tend to shun everything else away and keep yourself close-minded."

She glanced at Quinn who was wearing a small frown.

"You don't realize that the very thing you're actually craving for is right in front of you."

Quinn fully turned to Rebecca, intent to say something, when the proximity of the other blonde stopped nearly all coherent thought. She opened and closed her mouth in silence, fruitlessly trying to work some words up.

"Rebecca..."

"Yes?"

"I…"

Quinn swallowed, her throat bobbing up and down at the action. Rebecca was so close now. She watched as the blonde closed her eyes and her brain finally kicked in as it registered that the other girl was a few milliseconds away from closing the gap and kissing her.

"I can't," she breathed out, effectively stopping the other girl in her tracks. Quinn watched as Rebecca opened her eyes and composedly pulled back. The Aussie was clearly embarrassed, and Quinn felt absolutely horrendous.

"Look, Rebecca, I-"

"No need to explain yourself, Quinn," Rebecca put on a smile. "Not like I wasn't exactly expecting it, but…"

"Yeah, I really am sorry though." Well if this wasn't awkward…

"Wait, what do you mean you weren't exactly expecting it?" _Did she not expect me to not kiss her, or did she not expect I wouldn't?_

"Well, I already had some idea that I probably didn't have a chance in hell," Rebecca chuckled good-naturedly. "But I was never really one to _not_ try, so here we are."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I figured what was I going to lose anyway? The worst thing that could happen was you'd either reciprocate or have me arrested and thrown to the dogs."

"True," Quinn laughed along with the blonde. "Although I'd probably have you thrown to the pits instead. I'm not _that_ cruel."

"Oh, well, gee thank you for the pardon," Rebecca rolled her eyes. The two fell into a much more comfortable silence and Rebecca couldn't take it anymore.

"So who is it?" she blurted out the question she'd been dying to ask the royal since that afternoon.

Quinn looked at her startled. "Who's what?"

"The girl. Who's the girl that's got all of Europe's most eligible bachelorette wrapped around her little finger like putty?" Rebecca clarified. She never was one for subtlety, so she went head on with her question and didn't put in any attempt at sugarcoating the matter.

"Erm, girl? There is no…girl," Quinn stuttered nervously. At Rebecca's raised eyebrow (which was actually quite intimidating and rivaled one of her own eyebrow raises), Quinn caved and heaved out a sigh. "Okay, fine. There is a girl. Happy?"

"Not quite," Rebecca grinned at her victory. Who knew it'd be this easy to get something out of a royal? She decided to try pushing her luck one more time. "Who is she and what's her name?"

"I can't tell you that!" Quinn nearly screeched as she let out a nervous giggle. She was vehemently shaking her head at the prospect of revealing her true feelings for Rachel to anyone. She hadn't even told her flatmates yet, so there was no bloody way in hell she'd be telling someone she'd just known for less than two days.

"Fine," Rebecca relented, holding up her hands in the air and backing off. For a moment she was silent before she smirked knowingly. "It's Rachel, isn't it?"

"Rachel? No! What gave you that idea?" Quinn was quick to deny. "That would be ridiculous and inappropriate. She's my friend, for goodness sake's!"

"All right, all right. No need to get all defensive." Rebecca grinned, knowing she'd hit the other blonde's soft spot. She remained quiet though and allowed Quinn to stew.

"Honest, why is it that everyone keeps thinking we're harboring a secret love affair or something?" Quinn continued ranting. She let out a long breath and rubbed her temples. "We're friends, no more no less. Is that so hard for people to understand?"

Quinn knew she was trying to convince herself of this more than anyone else. _I mean, what use would it be to continue on anyway? It's not like she'd ever feel the same way as I do. That would just be too good to be true._

A strained silence passed before Rebecca spoke up.

"It's okay you know."

Quinn looked up at her, a little startled by the softness in her voice. "What is?"

"That you're in love with your best friend, or someone you consider as your best friend."

"I'm not in love-"

The protest died before it could fully leave Quinn's lips. Rebecca was giving her that look again, the one that said "oh, please, you're so not fooling anyone but yourself".

"I actually think it's enviable," Rebecca informed the blonde who was still looking at her with her mouth hanging open. "That two people could ever find love in each other so perfectly."

"Rachel's not-"

"Oh, believe me. Rachel _is_," Rebecca assured her with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I've known that girl since she was in diapers and the only time I've ever seen her throw a fit in jealousy was when a girl in her third grade class had the latest collection of Polly Pockets and she didn't."

_Jealous?_ Quinn's mind was a blur. _Rachel jealous? On my behalf?_

"Why do you think I've tried to stir clear of her whenever you and I are both in the same vicinity as she is?" Rebecca continued, recalling the murderous look in her friend's eye every time she'd see the two blondes together.

"But what about-"

"The flirting? Quinn, have you seen yourself? A girl couldn't help it if she tried," she winked and laughed at the faint trace of pink coloring the other girl's cheeks. "Besides, after the other night when we danced together, I've mostly been doing it just to see if it'll rile her up and what do you know, I got my answers."

She leaned over to Quinn and whispered conspiringly into her ear. "Rachel never was one to share, especially the things _and_ people that meant the most to her."

By this time, Quinn's head was reeling with all the possibilities. Could it really be true? Could Rachel really feel for her as much she did her? That she was as scared and as confused as Quinn was? What if-?

"Talk to her," Rebecca continued in a soothing voice. "Just tell her how you feel. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Is that a trick question?" Quinn mumbled out. If Quinn were to in fact tell Rachel how she'd really felt, what then?

"Then you take her out on a date," Rebecca answered as if it were the most simple thing to do in the world.

_Did I say that out loud?_ Quinn shook her head. She still wasn't convinced. Sure, Rebecca had known Rachel practically all their lives, but still. What if she was wrong? What if Quinn took her advice and revealed herself to the brunette only to be let down?

No, she didn't think she could take that kind of rejection, especially from Rachel.

She wanted to tell her. Badly. But she just wasn't ready yet. She'd much rather have the brunette in her life as a friend and go on without revealing her true feelings sooner than not have Rachel in her life at all.

Rebecca could see the cloud of emotion casting over Quinn and she felt awful. She'd known what it was like to love someone who didn't exactly love you back, or at least you _thought_ didn't love you back, and she was pretty sure the blonde princess was going through the exact same turmoil she once had. But she was certain this circumstance was different. She was positive her friend felt exactly what Quinn did. Yes, it had only been two or so days that she'd watched the two girls interact around each other, but she was more than positive about her assumptions. She could tell blind love even if it was several miles away. In fact, she was willing to gamble her trust fund on it, and she's not even the gambling type. It was _that_ obvious.

She sighed quietly and scooted a little closer to the distraught blonde beside her.

"Just think about it, okay? I'm not telling you to do it now or tomorrow or next week." Rebecca smiled encouragingly. "Just don't wait too long. I'd hate to see either one of you miserable just because neither of you coughed up the courage to tell the other about what you truly felt."

"Thank you," Quinn gave the other blonde a small smile.

"You're welcome," Rebecca accepted with a smile of her own. They both stared out at the waters and allowed the silence to fill them again.

"Just a reminder though," Rebecca postscripted, not taking off her gaze from the ocean. "You so much as hurt her - and princess or not - your head is mine, all right?"

Quinn gulped and nodded. _Well, at least that's one friend down,_ she thought with light trepidation. _Only five more to go._

* * *

_Why aren't they back yet?_ Rachel had been wondering the same thing over and over again for the past thirty minutes. For the past ten, she'd added fidgeting in her seat in there as well.

"Would you sit still? Your squirming is kinda distracting," Tina whispered lowly in her ear. She knew the reasons why the brunette had been acting like she had ants in her pants for the entire forty or so minutes now was because of the two other blonde girls' disappearance.

"Sorry," Rachel mumbled sheepishly.

Meanwhile the only other thought Tina had aside from worrying about her friend was, _I swear to God, Rebecca, if you do anything to eff things up…_

Although they still had a bit more ways to go, Tina was sure she was already _thisclose _to finally getting Rachel to admit her real feelings for their blonde royal friend. If Kurt hadn't interrupted them in the kitchen earlier, she was 100% certain she'd have managed to drag it out of the brunette, which would have definitely made it a ton easier to get Operation: Seducing A Royal under way.

She and Rachel simultaneously turned their heads when they heard the faint sounds of footsteps and laughter behind them.

_Great_, Rachel picked up her barbecue stick and poked it through the bonfire. She watched Quinn and Rebecca re-join the group, the way they were huddling close to one another completely not lost to her. She could feel her heart slowly breaking.

_And to the tune of I Will Survive, too._ She blinked back the tears edging their way out of her eyes as she listened to the two girls sing along with the acoustic version of the disco classic. She sighed quietly. _Third strike and you're out, Berry._

Tina, on the other hand, was seething as she watched Rebecca burrow herself into Quinn's side. _How could she?_ her mind was yelling. _How could she do this to Rachel?_

She knew she was being irrational and unfair. After all, it wasn't like the blonde Aussie was aware of their friend's actual feelings for the royal, right?

_But still!_ her mind protested. _She ought to know better. She clearly saw Rachel drinking it up last night and she's fully aware Rachel never does that unless something was bothering her, and this afternoon…how could she not tell there was clearly something unstated going on between the two?_

She was mentally throwing daggers at the blonde when Rebecca looked up and locked eyes with her.

_Oh, bollocks,_ Rebecca silently cursed herself when she saw the look Tina was now throwing at her. _You've totally got the wrong idea babe,_ she helplessly tried to convey that message to her irate friend through her eyes. She shifted her eyes to Tina's side and watched as Rachel mindlessly poked at the burning wood in front of her.

_Oh, great,_ she exhaled quietly. The brunette looked like someone had kicked her sick puppy after running over her heart with a steam roller.

_This is not good,_ Rebecca anxiously wracked her brain. _Not good at all._

She shifted her head back to Tina and tried to mouth discreetly, "I'll explain everything later." She saw the other girl raise an unamused eyebrow but give her a terse nod.

_You better have one really good explanation, Forrester,_ was what she felt Tina glare back at her. _Or it's going to be your head on the plate._

* * *

Rachel lay on her bed, her eyes swollen from crying, tears she never knew she had streaming down her face. Once again, she thought of the way Quinn had acted so closely with Rebecca that night, and she could feel a fresh flood of tears filling up her eyes.

Looking at the ceiling, Rachel couldn't help but see again in her mind's eye the look of contentment and carefree in Quinn's eyes as she roasted S'mores with Rebecca.

Rachel turned on her side, trying to fall asleep, but her mind just wouldn't be quiet.

_Why, oh, why do I have to feel this way? Was there someone that I pissed off in another life that made them want to torture me like this?_

A knock at the door brought Rachel out of her reverie. Opening the door she found Tina on the other side. "Hey," she murmured.

"Wow, not much of a life in here huh?" Tina teased.

"Well, it is two in the morning," Rachel sighed when she saw just how late it was. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a best friend visit her best friend?"

"I guess..." Rachel stepped aside for the other girl and closed the door behind her.

"So, what's up?" she whispered.

"Me? Nothing much," Tina took a seat on the edge of Rachel's bed. "I should be asking you that instead."

"Ti…"

"Oh, come on, Rach. I let it go earlier and I can't take it anymore," Tina pleaded with her best friend to finally open up about what was going on with her.

Sighing heavily, Rachel nodded and sat down on her bed near the headboard. _Might as well get it over with._

"I don't know, I just…" she inhaled deeply as Tina scooted closer to her. Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to finally tell and admit to someone else that she was falling madly in love with Quinn?

"I think I'm in love with Quinn."

"Rach…"

"And I know I shouldn't, but I do," Rachel continued, barely aware of Tina taking a hold of her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I really do."

Meeting the concerned gaze of her best friend, she whispered in tearfully, "I'm so confused... I've never felt like this before."

"Hey," murmured Tina, pulling Rachel up and into her arms, feeling the brunette collapse in the strength of her embrace. "It's gonna work out, don't worry."

"No," Rachel cried softly, shaking her head against Tina's neck, breathing in the always comforting scent of the best friend she'd ever known. "She's... she's one of my closest friends and it's so weird... liking a friend most people would consider family that way. And to top it off," Rachel gave a strangled, bitter, laugh. "She's already seeing somebody."

"Who, Rebecca?"

Rachel nodded against Tina's embrace and felt the other girl chuckle.

"What?"

"Honey, you don't need to worry about Rebecca. Trust me."

And it was true. Once the gang had cleaned up their little bonfire and retreated to their respective rooms, Tina had cornered the blonde Aussie and demanded as nicely as she could what the hell was going on. Rebecca had subsequently told her (vaguely) what she and Quinn had done during the almost one hour they went on their "walk".

She'd assured her friend that nothing had happened and nothing will. When Tina had asked Rebecca exactly what she meant by that, the other girl simply grinned at her and told her to trust her. The blonde had then proceeded to ask her point blank if there was something going on with Quinn and Rachel, to which Tina had barely stuttered out an "I don't know what you're talking about". Again, Rebecca grinned and gave her a sly albeit exaggerated wink before leaving her and heading up to the last spare guest room.

It took her a while to figure out exactly what Rebecca was trying to communicate with her without verbally communicating, but after about an hour or so of wracking her brain, it finally clicked. The little rascal knew of Rachel's undisclosed feelings, which hopefully was enough to discourage the other girl from pursuing Quinn. It didn't even occur to her what else the second sly and very knowing grin Rebecca had flashed at the girl could have meant. Tina just thought she'd decipher that another day. The important thing was Rebecca _knew_ and was backing off.

Moving backwards, Tina smoothed some tangled strands of hair from Rachel's forehead and cupped her face tenderly. "I'll ask you once, Rach," she began.

"Hmmm?" asked Rachel with a sniffle, looking confused.

"Is what you feel enough to risk everything you know about love and throw all caution out the window?" asked Tina, her eyes solemn and full of patience. "Will being with Quinn that way make you happier? Content? Complete?"

Moving her gaze down to study her bedspread, Rachel finally looked up and taking a deep breath, she said, "Yes."

"Alright then," Tina said after a long minute. "Well, there you have it."

Rachel sighed heavily. "I don't think it's that simple."

"Yes, it is." Rachel looked up and stared at her friend like she just sprouted a second head. "Now that you've got your feelings sorted out, that's one big obstacle out of the way. It's on to phase two."

Rachel's eyebrows slowly rose up to her hairline. "Phase two?"

"Uh-huh," Tina nodded promptly. "Phase two: how to catch a princess and determine whether or not your lady in shining armor feels the same way as you do." Rachel frowned at the thought. "It's going to be hard, but absolutely doable."

"You really think I'd be able to get Quinn to feel the tiniest fraction of what I do about her?"

"Babe, you're Rachel Berry!" Tina exclaimed with a flourish, causing her friend to laugh at her antics. "She'd be stupid and nuts not to fall in love with you. Heck, you've already got half the world's population at your feet. How hard could it be to get just one more person to follow ranks?"

Rachel groaned and fell back into the mountains of pillows. Sure, Tina's plan sounded foolproof and somewhat easy in writing. But in actual execution?

_Better strap in your seatbelt, Berry,_ she thought, her head rushing as Tina rambled on about their next step in action. _It's going to be one bumpy ride._

* * *

**A.N.**: the song that Sam played in this chapter is of course Christina Perri's _A Thousand Years_. The version that he did is similar to Tanner Patrick's, which you can check in youtube (/watch?v=Oep86ZNIi3o).


	14. Saying It Out Loud

**A.N.**: so this one's a lot shorter compared to the last chapter. I'm not entirely too happy with it, but meh. Maybe I just need more coffee. Anyhow, Zara finally confronts Quinn, and Quinn and Rachel talk. Oh, and all the usual disclaimers apply. Hope you continue to enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Saying It Out Loud**

Zara watched from the en-suite bathroom as Quinn flitted around their room with a noticeable pep in her step. Her eyebrow rose when the younger blonde started humming to herself and then began softly singing the lyrics out loud. She shook her head at the uncharacteristic scene in front of her and quickly finished brushing her teeth.

"Were you just humming David Guetta's Without U?" she asked the girl incredulously. She smirked in amusement when Quinn jumped and spun around so fast Zara could've sworn she heard her neck snap. The older royal chuckled when Quinn just huffed and threw her one of her patented glares before going back to arranging her bed.

"So…" Zara slowly made her way to her side of the room as she stretched the word out. She sighed and rolled her eyes when Quinn remained silent and looked to be pretending not to hear her. She grabbed one of her pillows and threw it at the younger blonde.

"Ow!" Quinn exclaimed at being hit by the fluffy projectile. "What was that for?" _You bloody well know what, _Zara's eyebrow raise challenged her. Quinn simply rolled her eyes at her cousin and moved up her bed.

"Rebecca."

"What about her?"

"Rachel."

"Ookay," Quinn scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. What did those two have to do with her cousin's sudden physical assault on her?

"You're in love with her."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Quinn denied with a scoff. Was Zara insinuating she was in love with Rebecca? _Or with Rachel_, her subconscious supplied. Quinn gulped. Zara simply stood in front of her with her arms crossed and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Don't play coy with me Quinn Lucille Fabray," the older royal pointed a finger at her younger counterpart. "You know, I wasn't born yesterday."

The two royals squared off, fixing the other signature glares that would have any other person quivering and stuttering. After a minute or so of their standoff, Zara let out an exasperated sigh at the younger girl's unwillingness to cooperate and picked up her other pillow, swatting Quinn with it.

"All right! All right!" Quinn screeched when the older blonde showed no signs of letting up on her pillow attack. "Geezus!"

_Works every time. _Zara smothered a victorious grin and looked at Quinn expectedly. "So are you going to tell me the truth now?"

"About?"

"Quinn!"

"Fine!"

Quinn rubbed her shoulder and glared at the other blonde. _Why does everyone in this family have to be so bloody stubborn and nosey? _she silently cursed. She knew that her cousin had been dying to get their talk out of the way if only to confirm her suspicions of her apparent feelings for Rachel. Quinn wished she could further delay the inevitable, but knowing how one-track-minded Zara could get once something piqued her interest she supposed now would be as good a time as any to get that discussion out of the way.

"Yes, I like Rachel Berry."

"Just like?" Zara asked, her voice much softer now.

Quinn groaned and collapsed back against her bed, sighing. In a small voice, she said "I'm in love with Rachel."

Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she finally said the words out loud to someone aside from herself (her earlier talk with Rebecca didn't count since it was the Aussie who implied Quinn's feelings for the brunette actress). She turned to her cousin and glared at her, albeit the bite had lost some of its edge. "Are you happy now?"

"Oh Quinn," Zara walked up to the other girl and sat on the edge of the blonde's bed. She nudged Quinn with her knee and gave her a smile. "My cousin just confirmed that she's finally fallen in love. How can I _not _be happy?"

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high if I were you," Quinn mumbled despondently. She rubbed her temple and smiled sadly. "She isn't exactly receptive of my feelings for her."

"Oh, sweetie," Zara placed a hand on Quinn's arm and squeezed it softly. "Rachel doesn't feel the same way?"

"She doesn't even know I feel that way," Quinn continued, still smiling sadly.

"Well, have you tried telling her?" Zara inquired. At the other girl's silence, she shook her head and tsked. "Quinn…"

"I'm scared," Quinn revealed. She leaned up against the headboard and hugged Zara's pillow against her. "I've never ever felt this way before. What if-?"

"What if she feels the exact same way as you do?" Zara cut her off and gave Quinn's arm another comforting squeeze. She rolled her eyes at Quinn's scoff and fixed her with a stern look. She was not accepting the thought of Rachel not returning the blonde's feelings at all. _Ridiculous, _she thought as she recalled all the looks the brunette actress was throwing her cousin, plus there was her behavior at the bonfire when Quinn returned with Rebecca in tow that just reeked of the green-eyed monster known as jealousy (and maybe The Hulk too where Rebecca was concerned). "Seriously. You'll never really know if you don't at least try now won't you?" Her eyes softened and she continued in a soothing voice. "Spare her and yourself the charades."

"I want to. Badly. I do, but I'm just," Quinn took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I just don't think I'm ready yet." She looked at her cousin in the eyes and said with conviction, "And I'd rather have her in my life as a friend and go on without telling her my true feelings sooner than not have her in my life at all."

"Oh, Quinn," Zara said as she regarded the other girl closely. "You really are in love, aren't you?"

"Hopelessly," Quinn whispered. "You're not disappointed are you?"

"Disappointed?"

"Yes, that I chose Rachel…?" Quinn started, a hint of trepidation in her voice.

The older royal seemed to pause for a moment then took a hard look at her cousin, a small smile tugged at the edge of her lips and she shook her head lightly. "Quinn, why on earth would I, or anyone else for that matter, be disappointed? Rachel seems like a wonderful girl and I've never seen you so happy. Even when you were with Arabella you weren't shining quite so brightly. I'm glad you met someone who really knows your worth despite neither the fact that she isn't British nor an aristocrat."

Quinn smiled a little at the twinkle in her cousin's eye that indicated she was teasing. "I'm just scared you and the others wouldn't approve." Quinn's voice was small, her eyes downcast.

"Now what ever gave you that impression?" Zara asked, the surprise in her voice genuine.

Quinn cocked her eyebrow in response. Zara sighed, exasperated but playfully.

"Don't give me that look," Zara mock scolded in an authoritative voice. "We've just been looking out for your best interests, is all." Quinn's other eyebrow quickly rose to join the other high on her forehead. "Now, now. Although I do admit we've been somewhat of a… pack of Rottweilers when it came to your choices of girls, we have been right on several occasions, haven't we?"

Quinn frowned, remembering all too well the small handful of girls who only went out with her for her title and played her like a fool.

Upon noticing her cousin's smirk turn into a frown, Zara scooted closer wrapping a comforting arm around Quinn's smaller and just as well delicate frame. "Sweetheart, it was their loss, not yours. They were blinded by greed and their fleeting chances of life's fifteen minutes of fame."

"I know," Quinn sighed, resting her head on her cousin's shoulder and listened as the older blonde talked.

"Look, after meeting Rachel, I can see why she's been able to successfully catch your affections." Zara smiled warmly at her cousin. "I just don't want you to do anything you'll end up regretting." She frowned and raised a reproachful eyebrow at Quinn. "Like that Rebecca girl."

Quinn groaned and buried her face into Zara's neck. She sighed and mumbled, "there's nothing going on between Rebecca and I." At Zara's dubious look, Quinn cleared her throat and spoke more clearly. "Honest. I was flattered and…appreciative of her offers but if you hadn't noticed I'm kind of hung up on someone else."

"I don't know, from where I was standing you looked quite receptive of her advances," Zara stated matter of factly. "And I believe Rachel thought so too."

Quinn instantly sat up straighter. A frown marred her features. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, the girl was a mess when you left to go frolicking under the moonlight with Rebecca," Zara revealed. She gave Quinn another accusatory look and tutted at her cousin's naivete. "She was subtle about it but anyone who actually looked could tell she was upset."

"Bollocks!"

"Uh huh." Zara observed with some level of amusement as Quinn repeatedly hit the back of her head against the headboard.

"I am such an idiot!"

"Well, you have no objections there," the older blonde agreed as she observed Quinn finally cluing in to the consequences her actions that evening brought around. Zara rolled her eyes when Quinn leaned back and proceeded to smack the heel of both hands on her forehead. "All right, stop that," she grabbed the girl's hands and brought them down. "It really wouldn't do to have you in a concussion now, would it?"

Quinn wanted to roll her eyes at her cousin's jab but she found herself whining forlornly instead. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, first of all, you need to stop returning any advances other girls will give you. Or at least stop being so tolerant with it, especially in front of Rachel." Quinn bit her lip guiltily and nodded.

"Rebecca knows." she revealed after a moment's hesitation. At Zara's questioning look, she sighed before recalling to the other blonde what happened earlier that night when she and the Australian went off for a walk.

"Wow," was the only thing Zara said when Quinn finished. She was silent for a few more seconds before asking, "So she thinks Rachel might be into you as well?"

"Apparently I bring out Rachel's very rare jealous side," Quinn shrugged, still unable to believe what Rebecca had revealed that night.

"Huh." Quinn could tell from the look in Zara's eyes that the various cogs in her cousin's head were working furiously, no doubt devising a plan of action that she probably wouldn't be very thrilled with. With some trepidation, she asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Zara murmured, a devious smile adorning her face. "Zara…" Quinn's voice warned the blonde, to which the older girl just rolled her eyes at. "I'm just figuring out the best way for us to catch your dear love's affections and have her act on it."

"No, no! You are not meddling into my and Rachel's love lives!" Quinn cried, not at all happy at the thought of her cousin pushing herself in-between her and Rachel's business.

"But Quinn…" Zara began to protest but was quickly silenced by the other girl's stern glare.

"Fine, I'll leave you and your lady love alone," she conceded while inwardly thinking, _I'll just keep my ideas to myself then_. She fought down a grin as her mind continued to hatch plans should her cousin still fail to make any progress with the brunette actress. And knowing the younger blonde, she'd probably need her help sooner rather than later.

Quinn flashed an appreciative smile as Zara got up from her bed, taking her pillow with her and crossing back to her side of the room. "Hey Zara?"

"Yeah?" Zara looked over at Quinn as she got in bed.

"Thank you," Quinn said softly.

"Any time sweetie," Zara nodded and returned her cousin's smile.

Quinn turned to her side and looked out the window to where the moon shone clearly against the fine black night. Her thoughts went back to Rachel and she felt like kicking herself again for not being attuned enough to the brunette's feelings at the bonfire. Or the whole night actually. She had observed Rachel being moody ever since Rebecca joined them for lunch but she simply shrugged it off, writing the brunette's behavior off as nothing since the girl had assured her as such when she confronted her.

_I really should have known better, _Quinn groaned quietly. She tossed and turned a few times trying to fall asleep, before resigning to the fact that she probably needed something to take her mind off the thought of having hurt the girl of her dreams. Inadvertently, but still…

_Still not a viable excuse, Fabray!_

Sighing, Quinn got up and silently tip-toed out of the room, careful not to disturb her slumbering cousin.

* * *

Rachel had tried to sleep but she just couldn't. Her mind kept drifting back to Quinn, her feelings, and Quinn with Rebecca. Sure, Tina had assured her of their friend's non-malicious motives with the blonde, but it still left her uneasy, especially given the Aussie's less than desirable track record in the relationship department. She felt ill just thinking about Quinn and Rebecca together and the missed chances of her being able to be with the royal in that way.

Unable to take her thoughts harassing her any further, she decided perhaps a quick pick-me-up from the kitchen would help stave off the butterflies in her stomach. Quietly making her way down, she reached the kitchen and flipped the light on. She shrieked as she heard and saw a figure clamoring as it dropped the fork it held in her hand.

She stared in surprise as she watched a flustered Quinn scramble on the elegantly tiled floor of the kitchen, trying to clean up the mess she made when she dropped her fork and bits of the chocolate cake she was previously enjoying.

"Quinn!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Oh, hi Rach," Quinn said sheepishly as she finished cleaning up the mess on the floor. She quickly wiped some chocolate frosting on her mouth as the brunette watched her closely, both hands on her hips. "Uh, dessert?" Quinn asked as she held up the cake on the platter.

"Dear sweet Barbra," Rachel admonished, frowning. "Do you have any idea what time it is? What are you doing still up at this ungodly hour?"

"Umm, well," Quinn said as she looked down coyly. "I got hungry."

"Oh."

"What are you doing here?"

"I got a little famished myself," Rachel said as she neared Quinn. "Is that the chocolate cake from earlier?" she asked, eyeing the remaining bits of the tasty dessert on the blonde's plate.

Quinn grinned as she took out another set of plate, knife and fork from the cabinets. "Yup," she opened the refrigerator and raised a questioning eyebrow at the actress. "Would you like a piece?"

"Umm, yes please," Rachel smiled as she watched Quinn take the vegan version of the dessert out and cut a piece out for her. "Thank you," she quietly murmured when the blonde handed the plate to her.

"No problem," Quinn smiled back. An awkward silence filled the air as the two girls ate.

_Say something! _Rachel's mind screamed at her. As the seconds dragged on Rachel knew she would have to be the one to speak.

"So, any trouble sleeping?" she asked, looking up at Quinn. She watched the girl finish swallowing the mouthful she had been chewing before finally speaking.

"A little bit," Quinn replied with a shrug. Rachel chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated on bringing the Rebecca situation up with the royal. _Yes, you should, _her subconscious answered. _Here's your chance to clear the air, Rachel!_

"Can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Of course."

"I…" Rachel started, thinking of a way to word everything out. She once again debated the merits of discussing Quinn's interactions with Rebecca that night. After a moment's hesitation, she powered on, her promise of being open and honest with the blonde royal at all times ringing in her ears. No matter how much the answer would hurt her.

"Are you and Rebecca…" she started, not quite knowing how to go about her inquiry. She took a deep steadying breath. "I mean, you and Rebecca seemed awfully cozy earlier. Are you two-?"

"Oh, God, no!" Quinn was quick to answer, her eyes bulging at the brunette's question. She took a deep breath before reassuring the other girl. "No, nothing is definitely going on between Rebecca and I."

Rachel felt the feeling of absolute relief flooding her body at the blonde's vehement denial. _There you go then_, she thought giddily. A new sense of hope lit up inside of her and she felt like doing a happy little dance. Instead, she composed herself and asked Quinn the other question plaguing her mind. "But do you, ah, like her?"

"Erm, well," Quinn stuttered. "She's a very attractive woman…" Rachel felt her heart plummeting down to her stomach again. "And normally she'd be my type…" _Oh no, _Rachel could feel the beginnings of a panic attack as she watched the blonde frown down at her plate before leveling her gaze at her. "But no. I'm not really attracted to her."

Rachel felt the whoosh of relief pass through her again upon hearing Quinn's reply. _She's not attracted to her! Ha! Take that, Rebecca!_

"Oh." Rachel nodded, fighting hard to stifle the grin threatening to split her face into two. Her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself prodding the other girl further. "How come?"

"I don't, I'm not sure," Quinn murmured. She dropped her gaze down to her plate again and started playing around with the remaining crumbs scattered on the porcelain surface. She could feel Rachel's gaze at her and she felt the tips of her ears growing hot. She wanted so badly to just scream out to the other girl_ 'Because she's not you, Rachel!'_ but she restrained herself and just shrugged instead.

"Oh." Rachel nodded again. She deflated and leaned back against the counter, a bit disappointed that she couldn't get anything more out of the other girl.

Another blanket of silence filled the air, this time much more comfortable and less strained, leaving both girls quietly to their thoughts.

"Can I ask you something else?" Rachel's clear voice sliced through the stillness of the kitchen.

"Anything."

"Have you…have you ever felt like the right person could be standing in front of you and you didn't even know it u-until it was too late?" Rachel slowly asked, eagerly waiting for Quinn's answer. She didn't know where that question came from or why she was even asking the blonde. She certainly wasn't going to be running the risk of exposing how she fully felt for her best friend any time soon, but her emotions were starting to slowly eat her up and she knew she just needed to let some of it out somehow. She was also very curious as to what Quinn had to say about the matter as well.

_Yeah, just keep torturing yourself Rachel,_ her inner monologue groused. _But in order for us to successfully execute our plan to woo Quinn Fabray, we need to have full disclosure of every obstacle we'll be dealing with_, she argued back, almost missing the blonde in question's answer as she started speaking.

"Yes," Quinn said, a faraway look on her face. "To love someone who doesn't love you is pure torture," she whispered quietly to herself that it was almost inaudible to Rachel's ears.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," Quinn shook out of her reverie. She cleared her throat and smiled, hoping it was reassuring enough to Rachel. "It's getting really late and we have to get up in a few hours, so maybe we should head upstairs?"

Rachel glanced at the time flashing on the nearby microwave oven. It blinked 2:30AM and she frowned at the growing lateness of the hour. "Yes, you're right. We have a long day ahead of us later and not getting enough sleep certainly wouldn't do."

"So, bed?" Quinn questioned. She grinned affirmatively and Quinn chuckled. "After you, my lady." She made a sweeping gesture towards the stairs and allowed Rachel to lead the way.

"Always the gentlewoman," Rachel giggled, feeling a hundred times lighter than she did that night.

"All care of my years spent at finishing school," Quinn joked as she followed the brunette up the stairs and towards their rooms. She walked Rachel to hers, which was conveniently located not that far from the one she and Zara occupied.

"So, this is me," Rachel turned to the blonde and smiled up at her.

"So it is," Quinn agreed. They both stood awkwardly for a moment, knowing they if they continued talking, they might never stop. Quinn bobbed her head a little to an imaginary beat somewhere, waiting for whatever happened next.

"Well, I should let you go," Rachel stated.

"Yeah," Quinn agreed, nodding her head vigorously in support of her… support.

Rachel opened her arms signaling that it was "hug time". Quinn smiled and opened her arms as well, and they began to lean in to one another. They held each other for a moment, feeling each other's hearts pound into each other's chests. Then, they pulled apart from each other slowly and exchanged smiles.

"I'll see you in a few hours," Rachel said as she turned to go inside her room.

"Of course. So… goodnight…"

"Goodnight," Rachel answered, watching as Quinn turned awkwardly on her heel and started to head for her own room. "Hey Quinn," she found herself calling after the blonde.

"Yes?" said Quinn, looking back, hopeful.

Rachel was silent as she walked down to where Quinn stood. The blonde watched as the brunette bit her lip and looked her over as if she was contemplating a dilemma.

And then… it happened. The most unthinkable and wonderful and terrifying thing; Quinn nearly fainted as Rachel leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Quinn stopped breathing, her body frozen in place. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of the two soft pink cushions against her skin.

"Goodnight, Quinn."

Quinn exhaled sharply in an attempt to regain control of her impossibly constricted throat muscles. "Uh huh," was all she could bring herself to utter. She quickly cleared her throat and added, "Goodnight, Rachel."

Rachel smiled demurely at her, ducking her head shyly in an attempt to hide the growing blush flushing her neck and cheeks. She couldn't believe she actually just did that! Her heart was racing. The only thing she knew was that she felt elated at finally having the knowledge of Quinn not being interested in Rebecca and the thought made her body and soul fill with a happiness she couldn't explain. Hence the impulsive need to physically express her elation.

Nodding once again at Quinn, she quickly turned around and marched back to her room.

Quinn watched as Rachel backed away down the hallway. The brunette reached the door to her room when she turned around to face Quinn before going inside. She was still smiling softly as she watched Quinn grinning impishly. She gave the blonde a final nod before closing the door behind her.

Quinn went inside her room and collapsed in her bed, the wide grin showing no signs of leaving her face any time soon. As she snuggled into the covers, the only thought running happily through her head was: _Rachel Berry just kissed me!_

And she felt her heart soar with renewed confidence.


	15. Let Your Hair Down

**Chapter 14: Let Your Hair Down**

The rest of the morning had gone fairly well enough. Rebecca went her separate way to meet up with her friends, much to Rachel's relief, while the group went up to the Caravonica Terminal where they rode the Skyrail. It was during the Skyrail ride where Quinn caught her first real glimpse of Rachel's admitted fear of heights.

The brunette was fine when they boarded the gondola, but as soon as they had taken off, Sam pointed out to the other girl how "cool" and "little" everything looked from their view several hundred meters up. Rachel, seeming to forget her own fear of heights, made the mistake of looking down and, after catching a glimpse of exactly how far up they were, had turned an ashen shade of gray before progressing to a pale looking tinge of green. It took a paper bag and several dry heaves and breathing exercises to regulate the brunette's heart rate and calm her down.

Rachel then spent the remaining few minutes of the ride wrapped protectively in the cocoon of Quinn's embrace, a role which the blonde didn't really mind and had relished in immensely. It felt good to know that the actress had felt secure and safe in her arms, not to mention that Rachel had smelled absolutely divine and felt positively incredible against her. Rachel, for her part, didn't really take notice of the intimacy of their position until she had uncurled from the royal when the ride ended and caught both Tina's and Zara's smug and teasing looks, which promptly made her face turn into a bright crimson red.

They rode the Kuranda Scenic Railway for the remainder of the morning while the early afternoon was spent exploring Paronella Park, about 1 ½ hours' drive south of Cairns. Everyone seemed to have a good time, save for Rachel who had to endure endless teasing and nudging from Tina to "make a move" already. Little did the brunette know Quinn was also receiving the same treatment from her cousin who kept nagging her about her "smooth little move" in the Skyrail gondola and urging her for a repeat performance. Both girls barely survived the day's activities with often matching blushing faces from all the teasing they received from their respective friends.

_Such an idiot you are Berry_, Rachel berated herself. They were now back at the house and setting up the speedboat and a few other equipment to take out to the ocean.

Rachel thought back to when Quinn had gallantly offered her hand to help her up a rather steep climbing trail at the park. She had smiled and taken the blonde's hand, but when the other girl had pulled her up and they were face to face and practically on top of each other, she had freaked out, promptly dropped Quinn's hand, stepped out of the other girl's breathing space and mumbled a quick thank you. It was just one of more than a few instances wherein the blonde would come a little too close to her or was just being her chivalrous, friendly self and Rachel would get a sudden panic attack.

_Seriously, how hard was it to NOT freak out whenever Quinn was just holding your hand and helping you out? _Rachel shook her head in disappointment at herself. Ever since her confession to Tina the other night and the impromptu talk she had with Quinn in the wee hours of the early morning, she had felt ten-folds more conscious of her every movement around the blonde royal.

"'_Just bite the bullet already_,' she said." Rachel mocked another one of Tina's solid advice, "'Come on Rachel, it really _isn't_ that hard to show her how you feel.'" She let out a frustrated growl when one of the nylon cords got tangled as she pulled on it. _How about she tries being secretly in love with someone as unattainable as Quinn Fabray? Let's see how she does on that, _she grumbled. Closing her eyes, she shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts and let out a sigh. _This being in love thing sucks!_

"Need some help?"

Startled, Rachel shot upright and hit her head on the inside of the supplies box lid she had been rummaging in. She turned around and was met with the apologetic face of Quinn.

"Are you alright?" Quinn climbed inside the speedboat and rushed over to the other girl. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's okay," Rachel smiled, lightly rubbing the back of her head. She wondered if her musings the night before about pissing someone off in some way or the other was right. She shook her head and looked at Quinn. The blonde was looking at her expectantly and she realized the other girl had asked her another question. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you still need any help with all of that," Quinn pointed to the lifejackets and gear surrounding the other girl. She was trying not to laugh at the blank look Rachel had on her face, but the amusement was obvious in her voice.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, um," Rachel could feel her face redden in embarrassment, the flush spreading down her neck. She looked around and realized the only things left to do were to get the boat out to the less shallow waters and start it up, which the boys could do. "Help me double check the cords?"

Both girls climbed out of the speedboat and proceeded to check if the hooks and cords were securely attached to the float behind it.

"What exactly is this thing?" Quinn asked after they had made sure everything was where it was supposed to be. She scratched her head while trying to figure out what the blue and yellow float was supposed to be.

"This is the Flyfish 3000," Rachel informed her and held her arms out as if making a presentation. At Quinn's blank look, she elaborated. "You basically sit here and then hold on for dear life, like so." She hopped up on the float and demonstrated to the blonde, straddling one of the three vertical flanges and gripping the rope handle.

"Oh."

Rachel laughed. "It's perfectly safe and loads of fun, as long as you don't get hit on the head or face by a stray limb."

"Right, I'll take your word for it then," Quinn smiled back. She held out her hand to Rachel to help her down and found herself in the similar position she had earlier at Paronella Park of being face to face with the brunette with very little breathing space. She swore she heard Rachel's breath hitch at the same time hers did at the contact.

"Let's get this bitch running!" Jesse bellowed as he ran down the beach causing Quinn and Rachel to jump apart.

"Boys," Tina commented when Jesse and Sam began fighting over who'd be driving the boat. She noticed Rachel throwing a murderous look at the two. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Rachel squinted her eyes and sighed. Yep, the universe definitely hated her, she surmised glumly as she watched Quinn quietly put on her lifejacket out of the corner of her eye.

"Ookay," Tina watched as the brunette strapped on her lifejacket with a huff. She turned to the other girls who were also settling into their jackets. "Who'll be sitting out on the first round?"

"I'll stay," Zara volunteered. She waded out into the water and was helped into the boat by the boys.

"Scared?" Quinn called out to her cousin as she pulled herself up the float.

"Cautious," Zara corrected. She watched as Quinn settled herself on the top right corner of the float right in front of Tina. "I want to see exactly what I'll be getting myself into before riding that contraption."

"Chicken," Sam coughed from where he was sitting in the float after losing out to Jesse in a game of rock, paper, and scissors. He ducked down to avoid the spray of water Zara splashed towards him for the comment.

Rachel laughed, loving how the two royals were comfortable enough with her friends that they played along with their teasing. She looked over to her right to check on Quinn.

"You good?" she asked the blonde. Since it was the other girl's first time in riding the float, she wanted to make sure Quinn was safe and secure. Not only for her own sanity, because God forbid something went wrong, but her manager and the world would kill her should something happen to Britain's second heir to the throne.

"Perfect," Quinn confirmed, tugging at her vest as if to make a point.

"Alright ladies and gent," Jesse announced as he began to maneuver the boat out to the ocean. Along with himself and Zara, they were joined by both the royals' bodyguards. "Make sure you guys hold on tight 'cause once we pick up speed I ain't holding back and stopping, got it?"

"Hell yeah," Sam hollered back, the rest of the girls hooting in agreement.

"Here we go," Jesse started to pick up speed as soon as they were a good distance out in the water. They twisted and turned, the girls screaming out as the float raised up the water as they went faster and faster.

"Bloody hell," Quinn murmured as she brought herself down, almost hugging the float, to avoid being thrown off. No sooner had she done so, she heard a high-pitched scream and hazily realized that someone had gone overboard.

The float slowed down as Jesse brought the speedboat to a stop. He laughed when he saw that it was Sam who had first gotten thrown off.

"Dude, that was weak!" he yelled to the other boy who was struggling to swim back to the boat.

"And you call yourself a man," Zara taunted him as their bodyguards helped the boy up into the boat. The other girls laughed along while Sam blushed a bright red in embarrassment.

"That was insane," Quinn breathed out as she got her bearings back. Rachel laughed. "I told you it was going to be loads of fun!"

They felt and heard the speedboat start up again.

"Here we go ladies!"

After another two rounds and two more people being thrown off (Tina and Mercedes respectively), it was down to Kurt, Quinn and Rachel.

"This is mad!" Quinn struggled to pull herself up the flange she was straddling as they began their fourth flight. She kept sliding down and had almost fallen off twice. Her arms were burning and her legs were starting to feel like Jell-o. It was certainly a workout.

"It's fun!" Rachel called out over her shoulder, grinning brightly at the blonde. "Just two more rounds!"

"Sure, whatever you say babe," Quinn replied over the splashes of water hitting her side, not noticing she had used the term of endearment.

Rachel, on the other hand, heard the blonde loud and clear despite the water spraying in her face repeatedly and the loud ringing in her ears. _Did she just call me babe?_

She was too preoccupied with trying to keep her racing heart from jumping out of her throat that she didn't notice she was slipping dangerously close to the bottom, and before she knew it, she had completely lost her grip and was thrown into the ocean.

"Jesus, Jesse! Speed devil much?" Kurt sputtered as the boat slowed down to a crawl.

"Yeah, try to bring it down a notch Speed Racer," Quinn laughed. She looked to her right and noticed that Rachel was nowhere in sight. "Rachel?"

She turned around and stretched her neck, worry painting her features as she searched for any sign of the brunette. She saw the other girl splashing around several meters behind them and grinned. "You okay there, superstar?"

"I'm peachy keen!" Rachel yelled back. She coughed out some of the water she swallowed and turned her head up at the sky in frustration. _Ego severely bruised, but peachy keen nevertheless_. She watched the speedboat come around her way and swam the remaining distance. Rachel smiled gratefully at Sam who helped her up before turning to Jesse and giving him a murderous glare. The boy simply grinned at her and shrugged off the daggers the brunette was throwing at.

"Last round!" Jesse yelled out boisterously before revving the speedboat and taking them on one last spin.

Rachel watched in amusement as Quinn's face contorted in horror as they picked up an even faster momentum. She chuckled when the royal practically hugged the flange she was sitting on and Rachel could clearly make out the blonde muttering _Oh Bollocks! _as she braced herself.

"You better hang on tight, Fabray!" Rachel yelled out to the blonde and laughed as she watched Quinn sputter and duck to avoid the incoming waves hitting her face relentlessly. The float started rising higher and higher until it was practically standing straight up as the boat went even faster. She heard the royal yell out "I'm trying!" from somewhere behind the float, but no sooner had Quinn said those words did they hit a rather big wave.

"Damn it, Jesse!" Rachel cursed, holding on to the side railing to avoid being jostled around from the impact. Jesse simply laughed and slowed the boat down and they all surveyed in anticipation of who was the last one left on the ride.

They all cheered as soon as they saw Kurt's hunched over figure still clutching tightly to his flange. They watched in amusement as the boy, dazed and seemingly very confused, raised his head and looked around to survey his surroundings.

"Did I win?" Kurt asked, his voice high pitched from the adrenaline rush.

"Hell yeah!" "That's my boy!" Sam and Mercedes both exclaimed as Jesse wolf whistled and the others whooped and hollered in agreement.

"Umm, guys?" Tina asked, squinting hard as her eyes scanned the horizon behind them. "Where's Quinn?"

* * *

"Quinn?"

Quinn looked up from her laptop at the sound of her name.

Rachel's head peeked in the door, greeting the blonde with a warm smile. "Hey."

Quinn felt a smile instantly light up her face. "Hey," she said as she finished typing an e-mail to her father and pressed 'Send'.

Rachel entered the room and quietly clicked the door shut. "Am I disturbing you?"

"No, I was just writing an e-mail," she replied as she closed her laptop and got up to place it on the nearby desk.

"An e-mail, huh?" Rachel asked impishly. "For whom? One of your secret admirers?"

Quinn shook her head and laughed out loud. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no. I was just giving my father an update."

"Oh, okay." Rachel drawled, internally relieved at Quinn's quick dismissal of her teasing. She approached the blonde who was now seated back on her bed and nodded at Quinn's shoulder and the ice pack on the bedside table. "How's your shoulder?"

"Feeling much better now, actually," Quinn smiled. She held up her arm and rotated her shoulder in demonstration. She winced a little as her muscles showed some protest at the motion.

"Well, that's good news," Rachel nodded. Her eyebrows furrowed in contemplation as she recalled seeing Quinn floating aimlessly in the water and the pained twisted expression on her face after falling off from the Flyfish ride. "You really gave us quite the scare, you know?"

"Sorry about that," Quinn mumbled apologetically. She could feel the tell-tale signs of a blush making its way up her neck as she thought back to her thoroughly embarrassing (and very ungraceful) dislodge off the float.

"As long as you're all right," Rachel tried to smile the incident off, but her mind kept going back to that scene and she could still feel the lingering cold rush of panic that engulfed her. She shivered and shook her head. _Quinn's fine Rachel, she's okay. _She regarded the prone blonde and plastered on a grin. "So…I was wondering if you weren't so busy, perhaps you and I could engage in some quality time together?"

Quinn bit her lip and tried to downplay her grin at the brunette's adorableness. "Well, that depends," she raised a curious eyebrow. She and the actress hadn't really spent that much time alone together in the past few days and she was very much looking forward to having Rachel all to herself. _Even if it is platonically, _she thought wistfully. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well," Rachel stood at the foot of the blonde's bed, both hands still clasped at the back which Quinn only noticed just then. "I was thinking we could view a movie or two and relax a bit." She held out her hands and Quinn could make out the titles of the DVDs. "I have the very romantic _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_ and, of course, the Barbra Streisand seminal classic _Funny Girl_."

Quinn felt her other eyebrow rising to match the one already raised high on her forehead at Rachel's description of the first title. _Romantic, huh? _She felt her heart pick up its pace at the thought of watching an (apparently) very romantic film with Rachel. _Stop it Quinn! Calm down! It's not like she just suggested the two of you kiss…_

"Umm, I've actually never watched either of the two," Quinn finally managed out.

Rachel gasped in shock and placed both hands on her hips as she regarded the blonde closely. "Seriously?" She shook her head in slight disappointment at Quinn's shrug. "Well that simply won't do! Scoot over and make yourself more comfortable. We have a moviecation to partake in!"

"Moviecation?"

"Yes, a movie education," Rachel bristled as she turned on the flat screen TV and DVD player in the blonde's room. She inserted one of the discs into the player and waited as the movie booted up. "We'll first watch _Eternal Sunshine _followed by _Funny Girl_, save the best for last!"

"Okay," Quinn agreed with a nod. As soon as the DVD menu popped up, Rachel turned to face her.

"I'll just grab the popcorn from downstairs," she told the blonde before quickly disappearing from the room.

Quinn simply smiled at the brunette's enthusiasm. She fixed the pillows on her bed and waited for Rachel to return, which wasn't long. The actress balanced a rather large bowl of popcorn in one hand and two drinks in the other - a bottle of water for herself and a bottle of raspberry iced tea for Quinn - as she shut the door behind her. She dimmed the lights and walked over to the bed, occupying the opposite side. She grinned at Quinn and passed her the bowl.

"Ready?" At Quinn's nod, she hit play and the two sat silently as the FBI warning scrolled by on the screen.

About half-way through the first movie and the bowl of popcorn thoroughly consumed, Quinn found herself completely invested in Jim Carrey's character and his quest to erase Kate Winslet from the recesses of his mind. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she saw Rachel trying to stifle a yawn. She leaned over and whispered, "I thought you said this was one of your favorite movies?"

Rachel turned to Quinn and saw the playful smirk the blonde was sporting. "It is," she insisted. "Just a little tired, that's all." She stifled another yawn again. "Maybe more than a little," she admitted embarrassingly.

"Why don't you lie down," Quinn offered.

"Are you sure?"

At Quinn's eyebrow raise, Rachel shrugged and smiled, starting to reposition herself on the bed so she could lie down. Although she was expecting it, Quinn gulped as she found herself looking down to her left side and seeing Rachel's head mere centimeters from her thigh.

"Could you pass me the pillow I was using?" Rachel asked. Quinn handed it to her, trying to act nonchalant at her sudden closeness. Rachel effectively propped the pillow up against Quinn's leg, fluffing it a little, and then lying back down on her side to rest her head in it. Quinn crossed her arms in her lap, unsure what else to do with them.

Quinn was flustered. She didn't know what to make of the move, or if she should make anything of it all. She tried to rationalize it quickly in her mind. _Okay, Rachel is lying with her head very close to my lap. Why? Alright, let's think. Uh, the screen! Maybe it's to see the screen better. But it's a 32-inch screen, you can see the picture clearly even from across the other side of the room. So…other reasons…_

"This pillow is too lumpy," Rachel said, sitting up and tossing it aside, "Do you, um, mind if I use your leg?"

"My leg?" Quinn echoed, trying to stay cool.

"Yeah, instead of the cushion," Rachel tried to explain.

"Um, sure…"

Rachel lay down again, this time resting her cheek on Quinn's thigh as she tried to contain the cavalcade of emotions roiling through her. _Oh god,_ she thought, _now her head really is in my lap. Oh god, stay calm! Don't get excited! It doesn't mean anything, does it? No. She's just tired and your thigh is the perfect place to catch a quick nap. So don't overreact or anything._

"Quinn," Rachel spoke after a moment. "Could you move your arm? I keep bumping my head on your elbow."

"Oh, sorry." Quinn lifted her left arm up and away from Rachel's head and stayed still for a moment, with her arm hovering in the air, unsure now where to put it. _Okay…dilemma…where do I put my arm?_ She struggled for a few minutes trying to decide. _If I put it around her shoulder, would she think I was being forward? But if I set it behind her near the headboard, will she think I'm being rude and don't want to touch her? Because heaven knows how much I want to touch her. Or should I just tuck it behind my back? No, that would start to hurt. Damn!_ Finally she just decided to rest it on near the headboard. _It's not so much evading as neutral_, she ultimately concluded, feeling herself start to relax a little (but only a little). _This isn't so weird,_ she thought. _Brittany and I snuggle sometimes when we watch movies. It's a friend thing. This is just a friend thing._

The pair of them continued to watch the movie silently for a long while, unmoving from their respective positions. But Rachel's proximity was starting to make Quinn increasingly antsy_. I feel like I should be doing more than just sitting here, _her inner monologue went on. _C'mon, Quinn, be bold. For once in your life, stop being such a coward._

Slowly, and very hesitantly, Quinn started to bring her left arm forward, her hand tentatively reaching toward Rachel's back. Her fingertips trembled as her heart rate increased with anticipation. Finally, she reached her destination, gently resting her hand on Rachel's shoulder. When Rachel didn't move or flinch or say anything, she let out a breath of relief, relaxing her arm so that her hand rested more heavily on Rachel's left shoulder.

_Okay, good. This is good,_ she thought. _She didn't pull away which is good._

Quinn turned her attention back to the screen and allowed herself to get re-absorbed in the movie. She was beyond surprised a few minutes later to feel Rachel's hand on her knee, pressing on it firmly. She looked down to see that the brunette was merely adjusting her head on her thigh, and using her hand for leverage as she pushed up a little. Quinn watched as the other girl finished shifting, but noted how even after she had settled back down, Rachel's hand stayed on her knee, unmoving.

_What is this?_ Quinn tried to think, even as her brain began to fog over unwittingly from the unexpected arousal beginning to creep into her veins from this new development. _What is this?_ she thought again. _Is she…are we…are we testing each other?_ Quinn mulled the idea over for a moment, trying to remain rational. _Yeah, right, Fabray, you wish._ She chewed her lower lip a little. _But...maybe…_ Drawing on some previously untapped courage, she lifted her hand from off of Rachel's shoulder and began stroking her fingers through her hair.

Rachel sighed. "If you do that I really will fall asleep."

Quinn froze mid-caress. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked, hoping the lump in her throat wasn't too obvious. Eternal seconds passed as she waited for the brunette's answer.

"No," Rachel stated finally. Quinn let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding and continued to run her fingers through Rachel's long hair.

Quinn was tingling from head to toe with glee. Her heart beat double time with every stroke of her hand through silky chocolate tresses. But suddenly she tensed a little when she realized her body was reacting with more than just tinglings of joy. _Oh, god! Okay, no, just stay calm. Cool off. You're just stroking her hair for goodness' sake. No reason to get that excited._ She shifted a little in her seat, trying to squeeze her legs even more tightly together. _Why does her face have to be right there? Oh god, I hope she doesn't…smell…anything… _She continued to try to will her body to calm itself while still stroking Rachel's hair. She wasn't going to give that up for anything. Unless Rachel asked her to, of course.

Rachel lifted her head a little and looked up to the blonde's face, which was seemingly intensely focused on the film playing on the screen. "Quinn, are you okay?" she asked concerned, noting Quinn's sudden fidgetiness. "Is my head too heavy or something?"

"No, you're fine," Quinn answered a little too quickly, ceasing her movements. "Why do you ask?"

"I felt you shift a little," Rachel explained. "I just wanted to make sure that your leg wasn't falling asleep or something."

"Nope," Quinn managed a smile of reassurance.

Rachel settled back down into her previous position and Quinn began stroking her hair again. "You can stop that now," Rachel stated, causing Quinn's heart to freeze along with her hand. "I mean," Rachel went on, "it's just, it really is making me start to fall asleep."

"Okay…" Quinn drifted off, moving her arm to rest once again near the headboard.

They were silent for a few moments before Rachel spoke again. "But, you can…um…put your hand back on my shoulder, if you want. I don't mind."

Quinn smiled and calmed down again, placing her hand back on Rachel's shoulder and feeling the girl relax beneath her touch. The rest of her started to settle down as well, content now to simply enjoy the weight of Rachel against her side and on her leg, to feel the warmth of her skin through the material of her shirt where her hand rested softly.

Quinn wasn't sure, but she felt that something good was happening. Even if it wasn't that Rachel was interested in her, the fact that she now felt less tense and more comfortable to snuggle with her to watch a movie had to mean something. Not necessarily anything cosmic, but maybe she was finally relaxing and easing away from the tension that seemed to have surrounded them lately.

Either way, Quinn was perfectly content to stay on that bed holding Rachel for the rest of her life.


End file.
